1  7  \  O  - 


Forward   House 


IN   UNIFORM    BINDING. 


FORWARD  HOUSE.     A  Romance.     By  William  Scoville 

Case. 

A  TRUCE,   and  Other  Stories.     By  Mary  Tappan  Wright. 
A  MAN  WITHOUT  A  MEMORY,  and  Other  Stories.     By 

William  Henry  Shelton. 

MARSENA,  and  Other  Stories.     By  Harold  Frederic. 
A    POUND    OF   CURE.     A    Story  of    Monte    Carlo.     By 

William  Henry   Bishop. 

TALES  OF  THE  MAINE  COAST.     By  Noah  Brooks. 
SALEM  KITTREDGE,  and  Other  Stories.     By  Bliss  Perry. 
* **  Each  One  Volume,   16mo.     Price,  $1.00. 


Forward    House 

A  Romance 


BY 

WILLIAM    SCOVILLE    CASE 


NEW  YORK 

CHARLES    SCRIBNER'S    SONS 
1895 


PS 
' 

C 


Copyright,  1895,  by 
Charles  Scribner's  Sons 


TROW  DIRECTORY 
'I'.G  AND  BOOKBINDING  COMPAN 


CONTENTS 

/ 

The  Lady  of  the  Lantern,   . 


/  Overhear  a  Colloquy,  ......     14 

III 
I  Entertain  a  Visitor,    ......     24 

IV 
In  Wlncb  a  Bottle  Figures,     ....     55 


I  Yield  a  Point,   ........     46 

V 


VI 

PAGE 

We  Call  upon  Colonel  Forward,    .     .      56 

I'll 
A  Fight  in  the  Dark, 67 

vm 

I  Pass  a  Night  in  the  Woods,  ...      79 

IX 

TJ)e  Villains  Destroy  my  House,    .     .      91 

X 
I  Return  to  Forward  House,      .     .     .     102 

XI 
Larimer  Explains, 114 

vi 


Contents 

XII 

PAGE 

The  Ad-vent  of  Mister  Hawk,    .     .     .     727 

XIII 

I  Meet  Mrs.  Forward  and  my  Story 
Ends, 142 


vu 


FORWARD   HOUSE 


THE   LADY    OF   THE   LANTERN 

FOR  the  better  part  of  my  life  I  have  lived 
by  the  sea,  and  the  love  I  bore  her  as  a 
boy  has  strengthened  with  my  years.  I  love 
ner  dignity  and  the  majesty  of  her  anger,  and 
I  love  her  moods,  for  they  are  mine.  But  she 
has  trusted  me  with  no  confidences,  and  has 
held  me  at  arm's  length.  She  has  turned  her 
gray  face  to  me  when  I  have  fled  to  her,  miser 
able  and  lonely,  yet  there  is  no  happiness  be 
yond  the  murmur  of  her  voice.  And  though  I 
am  neither  a  sailor  nor  a  sailor's  son,  and  can 
see  from  my  perch  on  the  point  rocks  farther 
than  a  boat  has  ever  carried  me,  I  have  often 
crept  from  my  bed  on  dark  nights,  when  the 
wind  was  rising  and  the  surf  boomed  along  the 
shore,  and  climbed  the  cliff  to  hear  and  feel 
the  storm.  And  I  have  lain  there  sometimes, 
turning  my  cheek  to  the  stinging  slap  of  the 


Forward  House 


spray,  until  morning  shamed  me  and  I  slunk 
back,  lest  the  sea  should  laugh  at  my  weakness 
for  her. 

It  is  an  almost  forgotten  coast  here  where  I 
live  alone — a  narrow  point  of  land  that  thrusts 
obtrusively  out  to  sea,  ignored  by  the  railroads, 
shunned  by  commerce,  and,  I  thank  God,  still 
unfound  and  unpolluted  by  the  summer  way 
farer.  The  plot  of  ground  that  I  call  my  own 
is  meagre  enough,  but  my  house  stands  on  a 
lonely  stretch  of  road  with  the  ragged  end  of 
the  cape  half  a  mile  eastward,  and  the  dead 
fishing  village  of  East  Crag  as  far  behind  the 
hill  on  the  west,  guarding  the  little  bay  on 
the  north  shore.  A  hundred  yards  behind  my 
house  the  pines  begin  and  cover  the  slope  from 
there  to  the  water -side  nearly  a  mile  away, 
while  across  the  road  before  me  is  open  ground, 
rising  to  the  hill  that  skirts  the  southern  coast 
of  the  cape,  and  here  is  a  dense  and  untrimmed 
wood.  No  living  creature,  so  far  as  I  know,  is 
kin  of  mine  in  our  small  sense  of  the  word,  and 
I  have  lived  too  long  in  the  world  to  claim  a 
broader  kinship  with  the  men  about  me.  But 
I  am  on  very  good  terms  with  my  books,  and 
I  love  the  neighbors  that  Nature  sends  me  to 
nest  in  my  trees  and  burrow  in  my  garden.  I 
love  them  all,  and  they  trust  me.  I  love  the 


The  Lady  of  the  Lantern 


woods  and  the  smell  of  the  earth,  but  more 
than  all  else,  I  love  the  sea. 

From  my  front  porch  I  can  see  both  east  and 
west  along  the  disused  road  that  was  the  trod 
den  path  of  the  hardy  fishing  folk  to  their  look 
out  on  the  point  when  East  Crag  was  a  bigger 
place  with  ships  at  sea.  All  that  is  past  now, 
and  the  road  serves  only  me,  as  my  avenue  to 
the  village  when  I  have  to  go  that  way,  and  to 
the  ocean  when  my  mood  draws  me  to  her. 
From  here  I  look  to  the  sea's  edge  on  one  side, 
and  to  the  crest  of  the  hill  where  the  road  dives 
abruptly  down  into  the  village  on  the  other. 
But  my  present  house  is  not  so  artfully  hidden 
by  the  trees  and  the  shrubbery  as  the  old  one 
was,  for  when  that  was  standing,  no  summer 
passer  on  the  road  would  observe  it  even  by 
day,  unless  he  chanced  to  see  the  polished  brass 
knocker  of  my  front  door  flash  through  the 
leaves  when  the  sun  struck  it.  I  used  in  those 
days  to  sit  in  absolute  concealment  on  my  front 
steps  in  the  dark  of  summer  evenings. 

Late  one  August  night  I  sat  there  smoking 
my  pipe  and  listening  to  the  restless  grieving 
of  the  sea,  when  a  light  rose  out  of  the  dark 
ness  and  flickered  unsteadily  on  the  crest  of  the 
village  hill.  It  swayed  gently  to  and  fro  to  the 
motion  of  a  rapid  walker,  and  dropped  slowly 

3 


Forward  House 


to  the  level  of  my  eyes,  so  that  I  knew  it  for  a 
lantern.  Now  and  then  it  paled  as  a  sudden 
gust  of  wind  swept  up  the  road,  and  once  it  dis 
appeared  altogether  at  a  furious  blast,  as  though 
the  bearer  had  turned  back  to  the  wind  and 
waited  for  the  lull  to  follow.  The  action  was 
significant,  for  it  takes  a  mighty  blast  to  turn 
an  East  Crag  fisherman  in  his  tracks,  and  I  was 
not  surprised  when  the  light  appeared  again 
and  the  figure  had  come  nearer,  to  see  the 
skirts  of  a  woman.  Now  travel  by  my  house 
is  rare  enough  by  day,  and  there  is  none  by 
night — still,  a  stray  man  by  way  of  diversion 
would  not  have  stirred  me  greatly  even  at  that 
hour,  but  a  solitary  woman  flitting  noiselessly 
along  the  road  at  one  o'clock  in  the  morning, 
whose  only  conceivable  destination  was  the 
lonely  rock  beyond,  pricked  my  curiosity.  She 
came  on  swiftly  until  about  a  hundred  yards 
away,  when  she  stopped,  and  lifting  the  lantern 
level  with  her  face,  turned  down  the  light  and 
hid  the  lantern  in  the  folds  of  her  skirt — so  I 
knew  she  was  no  stranger  to  the  place  and 
meant  to  avoid  observation  from  my  house. 
The  thing  was  quickly  done,  but  in  that  instant, 
and  even  at  that  distance,  my  keen  sight  noted 
both  her  youth  and  the  whiteness  of  her  face. 
In  the  dark  that  followed,  I  bent  my  head  to 


The  Lady  of  the  Lantern 


catch  the  rustle  of  her  skirts  as  she  passed,  but 
I  heard  no  sound  save  the  thunder  of  the  sea, 
and  after  an  interval  of  waiting  I  saw  her  light 
sparkle  again  far  along  the  road,  and  lessen  as  it 
zigzagged  toward  the  cliff. 

I  cannot  well  describe  the  impression  that 
the  incident  made  upon  me,  and  though  I  am 
loath  to  believe  myself  a  greater  coward  than 
most  men,  I  confess  to  no  slight  satisfaction  at 
that  moment  that  the  woman's  first  thought 
was  to  avoid  me.  Whoever  she  was  and  what 
ever  her  mission,  she  had  plainly  some  reason 
for  concealment,  and  the  fatal  characteristic  of 
her  sex  had  shown  in  her  compromising  cau 
tion.  Had  she  come  in  darkness,  I  had  never 
known  her  presence,  or  had  she  even  held 
boldly  by  her  light,  I  dare  say  my  curiosity 
would  have  waned  with  her  passing,  and  I  had 
given  her  no  second  thought.  But  the  very 
act  by  which  she  courted  secrecy,  advertised 
her  presence  and  set  a  seal  of  mystery  upon  it 
that  I  was  not  proof  against.  I  laid  aside  my 
pipe,  took  up  my  hat,  and  followed  her. 

The  moon  had  long  ago  gone  down,  and  no 
stars  were  out.  The  night  was  dark,  but  I 
knew  every  inch  of  the  road,  and  held  my  way 
in  the  teeth  of  the  rising  wind  until  I  came  to 
the  foot  of  the  cliff.  The  light  was  stationary 

5 


Forward  House 


now,  pricking  the  gloom  above  me  at  the  very 
edge  of  the  sea,  and  I  stopped  to  watch  it.  To 
tell  the  truth,  I  had  no  great  desire  to  get  to 
closer  quarters,  and  when  I  realized  that  the 
woman  had  gone  as  far  as  she  could,  I  was  con 
tent  to  remain  in  the  background.  Indeed,  as 
I  stood  there  I  began  to  feel  an  uncomfortable 
sense  of  shame.  What  business  had  I  med 
dling  with  the  matter  ?  Had  not  I,  of  all 
men,  learned  my  lesson  too  well  for  that  ?  I 
even  turned  to  retrace  my  steps,  but  I  was  ar 
rested  half-way  by  a  movement  of  the  light, 
which  waved  slowly  from  right  to  left  twice. 
Before  it  had  completed  the  second  arc,  I  was 
startled  by  a  sound  in  the  road  behind,  and  an 
instant  later  a  man  rushed  past  me  so  close 
that  I  could  hear  his  breathing.  I  traced  his 
stumbling  progress  up  the  hill,  by  the  light 
beyond,  which  his  body  hid  every  now  and 
then  so  that  it  looked  like  a  star  wading 
through  cloud.  Then  I  heard  him  hailing 
angrily  as  he  came  nearer  it,  and  a  woman's 
answering  cry,  and  with  that  the  light  went 
out  altogether  and  I  heard  and  saw  no  more. 

But  I  had  lost  my  caution  when  the  woman 

screamed,  and  was  running  madly  up  the  hill, 

nor  did  I  stop  until  something  tripped  me  at  the 

top,  and  I  sprawled  my  length  upon  the  turf. 

6 


I  lay  there  listening  and  staring  about  me  with 
eyes  grown  accustomed  to  the  darkness,  but  I 
heard  nothing  above  the  roar  of  the  wind  and 
waves,  and  saw  only  the  black  outline  of  the 
wood  against  the  sky,  to  one  side,  and  the  pale 
tops  of  the  breakers  fifty  feet  below.  And 
then,  as  my  eyes  went  seaward,  I  saw  what 
chilled  my  marrow,  for  out  of  the  wilderness 
beyond  a  light  flashed  again  and  waved  slowly 
from  right  to  left.  Then  it  disappeared.  For 
a  moment  I  thought  the  woman  had  gone  clean 
out  to  sea,  but  my  reason  came  back  to  me 
when,  after  a  little  groping,  I  found  what  had 
tripped  me,  and  it  proved  to  be  a  lantern  the 
metal  of  which  was  still  hot.  So  putting  two 
and  two  together,  I  realized  that  the  last  light 
had  probably  been  an  answering  signal  from 
some  ship  just  off  shore.  With  a  burning  curi 
osity,  and  without  reckoning  on  the  likelihood 
of  a  personal  encounter  with  people  whose 
business  I  was  making  my  own,  I  began  ex 
ploring  the  place  in  the  dark.  It  was  useless 
to  try  to  relight  the  lantern  in  the  fierce  wind 
that  was  blowing,  and  I  groped  about  on  my 
hands  and  knees  in  a  widening  circle.  On  my 
second  trip  around,  my  hand  closed  upon  a 
small  bottle  with  a  glass-stopper,  and  near  it  on 
the  turf  I  hit  upon  a  tobacco-pipe. 


I  do  not  now  remember  that  I  hesitated  to 
appropriate  this  property,  and  I  have  often 
wondered  since  that  I  made  no  more  ado  about 
pocketing  it.  At  any  rate,  I  put  both  bot 
tle  and  pipe  away,  and  continued  my  search 
until  I  had  almost  fallen  into  the  sea  from 
going  too  near  the  edge  of  the  cliff.  Then  I 
picked  myself  up,  and  with  stolen  property  un 
der  my  coat,  thanked  God  for  my  narrow  es 
cape  from  drowning,  and  went  my  way  unmo 
lested.  I  stopped  under  the  lee  of  the  hill  to 
light  the  lantern,  and  then  set  off  for  home. 
But  I  walked  slowly,  for  I  had  wrenched  my 
ankle  by  the  fall  I  got,  and  I  had  just  reached 
the  level  road  again  when  a  man  seemed  to 
rise  up  out  of  the  ground  at  my  feet.  At  that 
instant  the  wind  swept  down  the  road  so  strong 
that  it  nearly  blew  my  light  out  and  we  could 
see  each  other  only  dimly.  My  heart  beat  rather 
high,  for  I  thought  I  had  come  to  a  reckoning 
with  the  woman's  pursuer,  but  the  man's  first 
words  reassured  me  and  showed  me  my  mistake. 

"  For  God's  sake,"  he  shouted  angrily, 
"why  are  you  dawdling  along  in  this  fashion. 
I've  watched  that  lazy  light  for  the  last  fifteen 
minutes  as  you  crawled  down  the  hill,  and  I'm 
half  dead  with  waiting  for  you.  Where  is  the 
woman ' ' 

8 


The  Lady  of  the  Lantern 


He  stopped  and  fell  back  with  an  oath  as  the 
light  flashed  up  again  and  he  saw  my  face. 

"  Who  the  deuce  are  you?  "  he  stammered, 
' '  and  what  are  you  doing  here  ?  ' ' 

"I'm  on  the  highway,"  said  I,  hotly,  "  and 
minding  my  own  business." 

"  I'm  not  so  sure  of  that,"  the  man  retorted, 
glancing  at  the  lantern  which  I  carried,  "  and 
unless  I'm  much  mistaken  you've  got  my  lantern 
in  your  hand." 

"  I  found  it  where  the  lady  left  it,"  said  I. 
"  If  it's  yours,  you  shall  have  it,  but  I'll  have 
a  look  at  you  first, — and  may  be  the  coroner 
will  thank  me  for  it ;  "  and  with  that  I  held  it 
up  and  let  the  rays  fall  on  him. 

He  fell  back  livid,  and  I  saw  the  face  of  an 
old  man  with  white  mustache  and  eyebrows. 
It  was  a  fine  military  face,  and  one  that  I  knew 
well  in  common  with  all  the  country  for  miles 
around.  I  was  no  less  shocked  at  the  disclos 
ure  than  at  the  man's  way  of  taking  my  action, 
for  after  an  instant  of  silent  rage,  he  launched 
out  into  a  torrent  of  abuse  the  like  of  which  I 
have  never  heard. 

"  And  now,"  said  he,  when  he  had  exhausted 
himself  and  his  vocabulary,  "  give  me  my  lan 
tern.  I've  wasted  both  time  and  speech  on 
you.  Go  your  way,  and  see  to  it  that  you 

9 


Forward  Home 


keep  out  of  mine.  I  don't  ask  you  why  you 
are  prowling  here  with  my  lantern,  but  I  swear 
if  I  find  you  dogging  me,  I'll  throw  you  into 
the  sea. ' ' 

He  snatched  his  lantern  and  started  up  the 
hill. 

"One  moment,"  said  I,  and  I  planted  my 
self  with  determination  in  his  path.  "  My  wit 
is  too  slow  to  keep  pace  with  as  fast  a  tongue 
as  yours,  but  you  have  called  me  a  thief,  and 
that  very  plainly." 

"And  if  I  have,"  said  he,  but  somewhat  less 
aggressively,  I  thought,  "  you  are  lucky  to  have 
got  off  so  easily.  You  can  scarcely  grumble  at 
the  terms  if  I  am  willing  to  ask  no  questions." 

"  Be  damned  for  your  terms  and  for  your 
impudence,"  I  answered,  wrathfully.  "You 
shall  hear  what  I  have  to  say  before  you  stir  out 
of  your  tracks." 

He  looked  surprised,  and  I  saw  his  disen 
gaged  hand  dive  into  a  pocket,  but  my  blood 
was  up  and  he  might  have  emptied  an  arsenal 
into  me  without  standing  off  the  explanation  I 
had  started  on.  I  told  him  how  I  chanced  to 
be  there  and  what  had  led  to  it,  and  his  brow 
cleared  as  I  went  on. 

"And  now,"   said  I,  in  conclusion,   "I  am 
ready  for  an  apology." 
10 


He  drew  his  hand  from  his  pocket,  and  some 
thing  came  with  it,  and  when  his  arm  dropped 
to  his  side  I  saw  the  steel  of  a  pistol  glisten. 
But  he  was  man  enough  to  admit  his  error,  and 
after  his  fashion  he  did  it  well. 

"  See  here,"  he  said.  "  You  caught  me  at 
a  disadvantage,  and  I  lost  my  temper — damn 
ably.  It's  a  weakness  I'm  forever  doing  pen 
ance  for,  and  I  offer  you  a  sincere  apology. 
Now,  I  don't  know  you  from  Adam,  and  I  don't 
know  what  you  have  seen  or  heard  beyond 
what  you  choose  to  tell.  I  have  blundered  into 
an  indiscretion  with  a  stranger,  and  you  are  on 
the  edge  of  a  personal  matter  of  my  own,  and 
something  which  is  none  of  your  business.  I  do 
not  use  the  phrase  offensively,"  he  added  hur 
riedly,  "but  God  knows  the  mess  is  none  of 
yours,  and  if  I  have  been  grossly  imposed  upon, 
I  shall  not  mend  the  matter  by  taking  you  into 
my  confidence.  I  mistook  you  for  another 
man,  as  you  were  quick  enough  to  see,  and 
then  I  suspected  yourself.  I  take  your  word  and 
you  must  take  mine.  And  let  me  remind  you 
before  we  say  quits,  that  it  is  a  gentleman's  part 
to  hold  his  tongue  and  encourage  forgetfulness 
sometimes.  Why,  man,"  he  burst  out  impa 
tiently,  "  you  do  not  even  know  my  name " 

"I  beg  your  pardon,  Colonel  Forward,"  I 
ii 


Forward  House 


interrupted,  with  dry  emphasis, — and  he  swore 
again  under  his  breath  as  I  spoke — "but  I 
will  make  you  no  promise.  I  take  your  apol 
ogy,  for  you  are  speaking  like  a  man  now,  and 
you  are  dealing  with  one.  I  am  no  meddler, 
and  I  know  enough  of  the  double  edge  of  gossip 
to  give  it  a  wide  berth.  I  can  say  no  more 
than  that,  and  if  you  are  a  wise  man  you  will 
be  content." 

"  There  are  more  ways  than  one  to  make  a 
man  forget,"  he  said,  coolly,  with  a  significant 
movement  of  his  arm ,  and  then  he  thrust  the 
pistol  fiercely  in  his  pocket,  and  held  out  his 
hand.  "  That  was  a  cowardly  speech,"  he 
said  impulsively,  "  and  as  unworthy  of  me  as 
the  thought  which  prompted  it.  I  am  not  a 
coward,  but  I  am  an  old  man  and  sorely  put 
upon,  and  you  must  not  misjudge  me." 

I  had  taken  his  hand,  and  as  he  spoke  my 
pity  went  out  to  him. 

"  We  will  call  the  account  settled,"  said  I, 
"  unless  I  can  help  you." 

"No,  no,"  he  answered,  brusquely,  drop 
ping  my  hand,  and  recovering  his  old  manner. 
"  Believe  me,  I  have  no  use  for  you  whatever. 
You  would  much  better  go  straight  home  and 
take  a  sleeping-powder — and  now  let  me  bid 
you  good-morning." 

12 


The  Lady  of  the  Lantern 

I  was  chagrined,  but  we  saluted  each  other 
with  elaborate  civility,  and  I  stood  aside  to  let 
him  pass.  And  as  he  went  by  with  his  head  so 
stiff  in  the  air,  the  pity  I  had  volunteered  died 
a  sudden  and  violent  death,  and  I  vowed  he 
was  a  bumptious  old  fool.  When  I  reached  my 
gate  and  looked  behind  me,  the  Colonel's  lan 
tern  was  half-way  up  the  cliff,  and  from  the 
bobbing  and  plunging  of  the  light  I  knew  that 
between  the  wind  and  the  roughness  of  the 
road  he  was  having  a  hard  time  to  keep  his 
way. 


II 

I    OVERHEAR   A    COLLOQUY 

THE  net  result  of  my  interference  that 
night  had  been  a  pointed  snub  from 
the  biggest  man  in  the  county.  I  thought  on 
this  with  considerable  disgust,  but  I  drew  a 
sort  of  negative  consolation  from  the  fact  that 
Colonel  Forward  had  not  recognized  my  face, 
or  if  he  had,  had  made  no  sign. 

My  sleeping-room  occupied  the  whole  front 
part  of  my  small  house,  on  the  second  floor, 
and  its  windows  gave  upon  the  road  and  upon 
either  side  as  well.  As  I  was  getting  into  bed, 
a  gleam  of  light  danced  across  my  wall,  and  I 
looked  out.  The  Colonel,  homeward  bound, 
was  trudging  past  alone.  There  was  dejection 
in  his  gait,  and  I  was  petty  enough  to  rejoice 
at  the  thought  that  his  errand  had  failed  of  its 
purpose — whatever  that  might  have  been.  And 
with  that  thought  I  tried  to  go  to  sleep. 

I  had  not  yet  succeeded  when  I  was  aroused 
by  sounds  in  the  road,  and  I  stole  out  of  bed 

14 


/  Overbear  a  Colloquy 


and  to  the  window.  I  could  distinctly  hear  a 
man's  voice  high  with  anger,  and  the  pleading 
tones  of  a  woman  pitched  in  a  lower  and  con 
ciliating  key.  They  grew  louder  as  I  stood 
there,  and  soon  I  heard  the  sound  of  their  shoes 
as  the  pair  approached  from  the  cliff;  and  so 
marked  was  the  difference  that  I  could  almost 
see  the  swinging  stride  of  the  man  and  the 
half-run  of  his  companion  as  she  struggled  to 
keep  up  with  him.  Then  the  wind  brought  me 
scraps  of  their  talk,  and  I  did  not  scruple  to 
listen  the  more  keenly  for  that. 

"  Before  God,"  said  the  man,  "  I'll  have  no 
more  of  this  if  you  don't  do  as  I  tell  you. 
Haven't  I  banked  everything  on  this — and  all 
for  you  ?  ' ' 

The  woman's  quick  retort  had  something  of 
bitterness  in  it,  and  I  saw  why  he  had  hesitated 
on  his  last  words. 

"All  for  me  !  "  she  said,  and  her  gentle 
blood  showed  in  her  speech.  "  Oh,  Richard, 
Richard,  have  I  not  sinned  enough  but  you 
must  set  this  against  me  ?  Heaven  knows  I 
have  no  thought  or  care  that  is  not  yours.  Do 
you  think  it  was  nothing  for  me  to  turn  on  that 
old  man ' ' 

"Well,  well,"  he  interrupted,  impatiently, 
"  I  know  all  that,  but  we  have  no  time  to  talk 

15 


Forward  House 


of  it  now.  I  know  how  bravely  you  have  done 
for  me  against  him,  but  we  are  still  in  the 
woods  and  there  is  more  to  do." 

"  I  do  not  see "  she  began,  and  I  won 
dered  how  any  man  could  resist  the  sweetness 
of  her  voice,  when  he  broke  in  upon  her 
roughly : 

"  Then  thank  God  that  one  of  us  can  see. 
Your  foolishness  has  cost  us  heavily  to-night. 
You  shouldn't  have  been  caught  by  the  old 
man,  to  begin  with,  and  you  ought  to  have 
known  better  than  run  away  with  a  lighted  lan 
tern.  Of  course  he  would  follow  the  light." 

I  heard  her  sobbing  quietly.  They  had 
halted  in  front  of  the  house. 

"Then,"  he  added,  his  anger  seeming  to 
increase  as  he  dwelt  upon  the  subject,  "  as  if 
that  were  not  enough,  you  must  begin  waving 
the  damned  thing  before  I  came  up  with  you, 
when  I  had  repeatedly  told  you  that  that  signal 
meant  we  were  not  ready  for  the  boats  and 
would  stay  ashore  ! ' ' 

"  Oh,  Richard,  don't,"  she  cried.  "  I  know 
what  a  blunderer  I  am,  and  how  I  hinder  you, 
but  I  do  the  best  I  can." 

"  Molly,  Molly,"  said  he,  gently,  "  I  know 
that  you're  the  dearest,  truest  little  woman  on 
earth,  and  I  ought  to  be  shot  for  wounding  you. ' ' 

16 


/  Overbear  a  Colloquy 


I  thought  so,  too.  I  did  not  know  the 
merits  of  the  thing,  but  I  felt  I  could  have 
fought  for  that  woman,  and  my  fingers  itched 
for  a  twist  at  the  man's  collar.  But  he  was 
clearly  beside  himself,  for  after  that  outburst  of 
tenderness  his  anger  got  the  better  of  him 
again. 

"  It  was  all  so  foolish,  so  foolish  !  "  he  said. 
"  Even  that  wasn't  enough,  but  you  must  do 
the  thing  up  brown,  as  a  woman  always  does,  so 
you  put  your  light  out  and  threw  your  lantern 
away,  after  first  forgetting  to  have  any  matches 
about  you.  Who  ever  heard  of  a  woman  with 
a  match  !  " 

He  stopped  and  laughed  loudly — but  whether 
at  his  own  humor  or  the  woman's  distress  I  do 
not  know.  She  called  to  him  in  alarm. 

"At  least,"  she  said,  with  some  spirit,  "I 
am  not  fool  enough  to  shout  the  whole  country 
on  our  track. ' ' 

' '  You  are  right  there,  at  any  rate, ' '  he  said, 
quickly  checking  himself,  "  and  I  am  the  fool. 
But  if  I'm  to  take  your  word,  there  isn't  a  house 
within  hearing  of  this  one,  and  if  we've  got  to 
wake  this  man  up  we  may  as  well  do  it  by 
laughing  at  each  other  as  by  swearing  at 
him." 

"So,"  thought  I,  "you're  after  me,"  and 

17 


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I  reached  out  for  my  revolvers  that  lay  ready 
on  the  dressing-table.  I  began  to  have  qualms 
of  conscience  about  the  glass  bottle  and  the 
pipe,  but  the  woman  quelled  them  the  next 
moment. 

"  Is  there  no  other  way?  "  she  said.  "It  is 
no  great  hardship  to  spend  the  rest  of  the  night 
out  there.  It  will  be  daylight  anyway  before 
you  can  get  me  aboard,  and  this  man  will  be 
suspicious  of  us  if  we  wake  him  up  at  this  hour 
for  a  lantern  and  a  match.  What  excuse  can  I 
make  him  ?  ' ' 

"  Take  your  own  way,"  the  man  said, 
bluntly,  "  and  forgive  me  if  I  am  harsh,  but 
for  God's  sake  go  and  have  it  done  with." 

While  I  wondered  what  to  do,  I  heard  her 
fumbling  with  the  gate  latch.  They  were  still 
a  minute  and  then  she  gave  a  little  cry. 

"  Oh,  Richard,"  she  said,  with  such  real 
distress  in  her  voice  that  I  was  near  calling  out 
to  her  myself,  "  I  have  lost  one  of  the  bottles. 
There  were  three,  and  I  have  only  two  in  my 
pocket. ' ' 

He  gave  a  great  oath  and  started  back  the 
road  they  had  come.  She  called  to  him  to 
wait,  but  he  seemed  frenzied  on  his  new  errand 
and  forgetful  of  the  one  that  had  brought  them 
to  my  door,  and  ran  swiftly  on.  I  heard  the 
18 


/  Overhear  a  Colloquy 


girl  crying  softly  there  in  the  dark,  and  my 
tongue  broke  its  bonds. 

"Madam,"  said  I,  gently,  "if  you  will  let 
me  help  you " 

I  might  have  gone  on  to  offer  her  the  bottle 
I  had  picked  up,  had  not  she  interrupted  me  in 
her  terror. 

"  No,  no,"  she  cried,  hardly  above  a  whis 
per,  running  close  under  the  window  in  her 
eagerness  as  she  spoke  ;  "  no,  not  a  word  more. 
I  do  not  know  what  you  have  heard " 

"  I  will  not  deny,"  I  began;  but  she  burst 
in  again. 

' '  Do  not  tell  me  what  you  have  heard, ' '  she 
begged,  "and  as  you  value  your  life  and  pity 
me,  forget  that  you  have  heard  anything." 

"  I  would  rather — "  I  began  again,  thinking 
of  Colonel  Forward,  but  she  did  not  let  me  finish. 

"  Sir,"  said  she,  "  you  do  not  know  me  and 
I  do  not  know  you,  but  you  are  a  man,  and  a 
kind  one  by  your  voice.  Do  a  woman  this 
one  act  of  kindness.  Forget  all  that  you  have 
heard,  or  persuade  yourself  that  you  have 
dreamed  it  and  never  tell  the  dream.  Please 
God,  you  shall  never  see  my  face,  and  never 
again  hear  my  voice.  I  on  my  side  will  forget 
that  you  have  spoken  to  me.  And  that  the 
confidence  may  be  more  to  you,  let  me  tell 

19 


Forward  House 


you  that  the  sound  of  your  kind  voice  has  been 
blessed  to  me  this  night." 

She  was  standing  in  the  walk,  and  I  could 
dimly  see  her  form  in  the  darkness,  and  her  up 
turned  face. 

"  I  will  promise  you,"  said  I,  more  moved 
by  her  voice  and  manner  than  I  had  supposed  it 
possible  for  me  to  be  by  any  woman,  "  and  may 
God  help  and  pity  you,  whoever  you  may  be." 

I  had  hardly  spoken  when  the  man  hallooed 
from  the  road  beyond.  She  started  in  alarm. 

"  Good-by,"  she  said,  "and  Heaven  bless 
you  !  "  and  she  was  gone. 

I  stood  and  listened  to  the  quick  patter  of 
her  feet  as  she  left  my  door,  and  as  the  distance 
widened  between  us,  that  sound  was  merged  in 
another  that  rose  faintly  from  the  sea  and 
waxed  as  it  came.  The  rain  was  falling  and 
the  storm  had  come. 

When  I  awoke  from  my  sleep  later  in  the  day, 
a  hopeless  northeaster  was  raging,  and  the  rain 
was  beating  furiously  through  my  open  win 
dows.  As  I  put  on  my  coat,  a  bulging  pocket 
reminded  me  of  the  mysterious  bottle,  and  I 
took  it  out  and  examined  it.  There  was  noth 
ing  peculiar  or  interesting  about  the  thing,  and 
I  was  disappointed  at  that  after  the  fuss  the  man 
had  made  over  its  loss.  It  was  a  small  bottle 
20 


with  a  glass  stopper,  as  I  have  said,  and  about 
half  full  of  a  coarse  substance  that  looked  like 
sand.  The  pipe  was  even  less  interesting, 
though  it  was  a  pretty  piece  of  briar,  and  as 
black  as  ebony  from  use.  I  carried  them 
downstairs  with  me  and  put  them  away  on  the 
top  shelf  of  a  little  cupboard  of  my  library, 
where  I  kept  my  pipes  and  tobacco. 

But  the  ample  leisure  of  a  day  indoors  gave 
me  opportunities  for  speculating  upon  my  ad 
venture,  which  I  could  not  well  avoid.  And 
though  I  had  not  the  slightest  clue  to  go  on,  I 
found  myself  building  up  the  most  elaborate 
theories  to  account  for  the  strange  actions  of 
the  three  trespassers  upon  my  solitude. 

My  own  habits  of  life,  as  I  have  said  before, 
brought  me  few  acquaintances, — those  only  to 
whom  I  was  driven  by  my  necessities,  and  some 
few  whom  chance  had  led  to  me.  In  neither 
class  was  Colonel  Forward.  I  knew  him  for 
my  next  neighbor,  living  just  over  the  hill 
toward  the  village,  and  I  had  seen  his  picture 
in  the  school  histories,  for  he  had  achieved 
some  reputation  in  his  chosen  calling.  He  was 
a  haughty  old  gentleman,  according  to  all  ac 
counts,  who  since  his  retirement  from  the  army 
had  lived  almost  as  much  of  a  solitary  as  my 
self,  and  for  any  likelihood  of  a  casual  acquaint- 


Forward  House 


ance  between  us  he  had  as  well  lived  in  Guinea 
as  on  East  Crag.  That  feature  of  his  life  and 
character  had  always  interested  me,  and  I  had 
often  wondered  why,  with  wealth  and  influence 
at  his  command,  he  chose  to  isolate  himself 
from  all  but  the  few  retainers  who  made  his 
grounds  their  home.  I  fancied  that  the  death 
of  his  wife  some  years  before  had  left  this  mark 
upon  him. 

Now  that  I  thought  the  matter  over,  his  man 
ner  at  our  meeting  encouraged  the  idea  that  he 
and  the  strange  pair  whom  he  was  pursuing 
when  I  came  upon  him,  were  confederates  in 
one  scheme.  But  on  the  other  hand,  the  bear 
ing  of  the  man  and  woman,  when  they  stopped 
under  my  window  in  the  night,  was  open  only 
to  the  construction  that  they  were  avoiding  be 
ing  seen  in  the  neighborhood,  and  most  of  all 
by  the  Colonel  himself.  Up  to  that  time  the 
thought  of  connecting  the  stiff  old  soldier  with 
crime  or  dishonorable  intrigue  would  have  been 
repugnant  to  me  under  any  circumstances.  But 
I  suppose  the  sting  of  personal  resentment  had 
its  weight,  for  when  I  thought  of  his  railing 
words  and  his  threatening  attitude,  I  was  filled 
with  suspicion  and  distrust. 

As  to  the  woman,  I  cannot  even  now  tell 
you  what  I  thought  of  her  or  where  my  im- 

22 


/  Overbear  a  Colloquy 


pressions  lay.  I  somehow  felt  myself  her 
sworn  champion  after  our  strange  interview.  I 
blindly  pitied  her,  and  hated  those  whom  I 
thought  her  persecutors  with  a  fervor  that  may 
have  been  ill-judged,  but  certainly  had  its  rise 
in  the  better  instincts  of  my  nature,  as  our  hates 
so  often  have. 

But  it  was  her  companion  around  whom  the 
greatest  interest  centred,  after  all.  So  far,  he 
was  to  me  only  a  big  voice  out  of  the  dark.  I 
tried  to  picture  what  such  a  man  should  look 
like,  and  I  longed  to  see  him. 

In  this  idle  fashion  I  let  the  forenoon  pass,  and 
I  had  taken  up  and  dismissed  the  mysterious 
trio  a  hundred  times,  for  a  guess,  when  I  turned 
in  sheer  weariness  to  my  library  window.  A 
strange  man  in  sailor  rig  was  standing  in  the 
walk  looking  curiously  toward  my  house.  The 
sight  of  me  at  the  window  cured  his  indecision, 
and  instead  of  retreating  he  turned  boldly  to 
the  door.  My  instinct  told  me  that  here  was 
the  man  I  had  been  waiting  for,  and  I  knew 
that  when  he  spoke  I  should  hear  the  voice  that 
had  drawn  me  out  of  bed  the  night  before. 
And  at  that  a  load  fell  from  my  mind,  for  I 
felt  that  so  long  as  I  could  keep  him  by  me,  I 
might  see  her  again.  Indeed,  I  had  not  known 
up  to  that  moment  how  long  the  day  had  been. 

23 


'  III 

I    ENTERTAIN    A   VISITOR 

I  HEARD  him  scrape  the  mud  from  his 
boots,  but  I  had  the  door  open  before  his 
hand  had  reached  the  knocker.  He  passed  by 
me  into  the  hall  without  a  word,  though  I 
fancied  he  looked  surprised  at  the  genuineness 
of  the  welcome.  When  I  had  closed  the  door 
again,  he  opened  his  mouth. 

"  You  are  the  master  here  ?  "  says  he. 

"I  am,"  I  promptly  answered,  taking  my 
cue  from  the  familiar  voice.  "  You  look  cold 
and  wet.  Come  in  where  it's  warm." 

"You're  the  right  sort,"  said  he,  heartily, 
"  and  I  will.  I've  been  out  on  the  rocks  for 
ten  hours,  and  I'm  soaked  to  the  marrow." 

I  had  brought  him  into  the  library  as  I 
spoke,  and  pushed  up  a  chair  before  the  little 
fire  that  was  burning  on  my  hearth.  He 
dropped  into  it  with  a  sigh. 

"Will  you  take  it  neat,"  I  asked,  touching 
a  matter  that  I  knew  lay  next  his  heart,  "or 
shall  I  make  it  hot,  with  a  little  sugar  ?  ' ' 
24 


/  Entertain  a  Visitor 


He  looked  at  me  with  open  admiration. 

"Raw,"  he  murmured,  and  as  I  fetched  a 
bottle  and  a  glass,  "  Do  they  breed  many  of 
your  sort  here?"  he  added,  with  a  kind  of 
roar.  "  God  bless  you  for  a  man  after  my 
own  heart  !  You're  the  first  I've  met  on  this 
damned  coast,  and  I  want  to  shake  hands." 

He  got  on  his  feet  as  he  spoke,  and  I  saw 
what  had  escaped  me  before,  that  he  was  near 
done  with  exhaustion.  He  swayed  unsteadily, 
and  would  have  fallen  if  I  had  not  supported  him 
and  dropped  him  gently  back  into  his  chair. 
Yet  all  this  time  I  could  have  knifed  him  for 
dread  of  what  he  had  done  to  the  girl,  for  he 
had  not  been  in  the  best  of  humor  when  she 
had  run  to  meet  him  the  night  before. 

"  Never  mind  that  now,"  I  said,  soothingly. 
"Take  your  drink  and  keep  your  thanks  till 
you've  got  your  nerve  back." 

I  may  have  overdone  the  hospitality,  for  in 
stead  of  answering  me  he  looked  up  with  a 
scowl. 

"None  of  that,"  he  growled,  suspiciously. 
"  What  are  you  up  to,  anyway  ?  It  strikes 
me  you're  just  a  little  bit  too  good." 

"  From  your  manner,  I  am,"  said  I,  with  a 
touch  of  temper,  "  and  I  shall  be  glad  to  see 
your  back  when  I've  made  you  a  man  again. 

25 


Forward  House 


Just  now  I'm  doing  what  I  would  do  by  any 
vagabond  who  fell  in  my  way." 

He  sat  up  in  his  chair  and  looked  me 
straight  in  the  eyes,  and  I  stared  back  at  him 
without  flinching.  He  was  a  powerfully  built 
man,  of  perhaps  forty-five,  with  a  handsome 
face  bronzed  by  exposure,  a  short  light  beard 
and  mustache,  and  that  certain  mark  of  breed 
ing  that  nothing  can  wholly  erase.  Just  now 
his  clean-chiselled  features  were  a  bit  drawn, 
though  even  in  his  distress  he  looked  every 
inch  the  sailor  that  he  was.  But  his  eyes  were 
his  strong  point,  and  I  have  yet  to  see  the  pair 
that  will  match  them  for  expression.  They 
were  blue  or  gray  or  green,  fire,  stone,  or  water, 
as  the  mood  behind  them  changed,  and  I  swear 
they  were  all  these  things  in  as  many  seconds 
as  he  looked  at  me.  But  they  softened  in  an 
instant,  and  he  held  out  his  hand  for  the  glass. 

"You've  a  sharp  tongue,"  said  he,  with  a 
weak  laugh,  "but  I  guess  you're  about  right, 
and  here's  my  regards,"  and  he  gulped  down 
whiskey  enough  to  have  made  my  head  swim. 
Then,  with  a  sigh  that  was  half  sob  and  half 
laugh,  he  fell  back  in  his  chair  and  closed  his  eyes. 

I  turned  to  the  window  and  gave  him  a 
chance  to  pull  himself  together,  which  he  was 
not  slow  to  improve. 

26 


/  Entertain  a  Visitor 


"I'm  a  new  man,"  says  he,  presently,  "  or 
rather,  I'm  myself  again  after  that  whiskey  of 
yours,  and  now  I  wish  you'd  overlook  my  rude 
ness.  I'm  not  in  the  habit  of  walking  unin 
vited  into  men's  houses,  and  if  you'll  take  my 
apology  and  believe  how  honestly  I  thank  you 
for  your  kindness,  I'll  go." 

He  had  got  up  as  he  spoke,  and  I  was  fright 
ened  for  a  moment  lest  I  really  lose  him. 

"You'll  stay  here  as  long  as  you  please," 
said  I,  quickly,  "and  until  you  get  back 
strength  enough  to  fight  your  way  out,  you'll 
stay  as  long  as  I  please. ' ' 

He  shot  me  an  odd  look  at  that,  but  he 
laughed  good-naturedly  as  he  pushed  his  chair 
closer  to  the  fire  and  sat  down  again. 

"  Now,"  said  I,  seizing  my  opportunity, 
"I'm  not  only  the  master  here,  but  I'm  the 
cook  and  the  house-keeper  and  the  chamber 
maid.  You  can  reach  the  whiskey,  and  I'll 
go  out  and  get  us  a  bit  of  dinner." 

"  I  won't  lie,"  said  he,  with  a  sigh.  "  I've 
eaten  nothing  but  spray  for  nearly  twenty-four 
hours. ' ' 

All  the  time  I  was  busying  myself  in  the 
kitchen,  I  was  planning  openings  for  a  conver 
sation  that  should  get  me  somewhere ;  yet  for 
the  life  of  me  I  could  think  of  nothing  satisfac- 
27 


tory  unless  I  plumped  straight  to  the  point,  and 
that,  I  saw,  was  more  likely  than  not  to  make 
matters  worse  than  ever. 

He  was  standing  at  the  window  with  a  low 
ering  face  when  I  went  in  to  call  him  to  din 
ner,  but  he  brightened  when  he  saw  me,  and 
he  was  the  promptest  guest  at  table  that  I  have 
ever  entertained. 

It  had  been  long  since  I  wished  to  see  a 
woman  in  my  house,  but  the  recollection  of 
that  girl's  voice  stuck  to  me,  and  I  pictured 
her  shivering  on  the  rocks  while  this  fellow  ate 
his  fill  indoors.  Perhaps  there  was  a  dash  of 
sentiment  in  my  reflections,  for  I  was  not  so 
very  old  as  years  go,  you  must  remember.  In 
deed,  I  thought  it  was  nip  and  tuck  between 
my  guest  and  me  on  that  score,  though  he 
probably  had  a  little  the  advantage. 

"  There  is  more  than  enough  for  us  both,"  I 
said,  tentatively.  "It  is  a  pity  we  have  no 
guest  at  hand." 

"Had  I  known  your  hospitality  last  night," 
he  said,  with  a  laugh,  "  I  might  have  helped  you 
out.  As  it  is,  I  have  no  hunger  but  my  own 
to  look  out  for  to-day." 

It  was  the  man's  tone  of  relief  that  set  me  at 
my  ease,  for  I  knew  he  had  the  woman  in  his 
mind,  and  I  was  sure  he  could  not  have  spoken 
28 


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so  if  she  were  in  danger,  or  if  he  had  dealt 
badly  by  her.  I  did  a  foolish  thing. 

"  Here  is  her  health,"  said  I,  and  reached 
my  glass  out  to  clink  his. 

"  What  the  devil  do  you  mean  ?  "  said  he, 
springing  from  his  chair  and  glaring  at  me. 
"  Whose  health?  " 

I  saw  my  error,  and  for  once  my  wit  was 
awake.  "  The  hostess  who  should  have  pre 
sided  here  were  I  the  lucky  man  I  could  wish  to 
be,"  said  I,  coolly. 

He  dropped  into  his  chair  and  lifted  his 
glass  to  his  lips. 

"  With  all  my  heart,"  says  he,  eagerly,  and 
drank  deep.  I  held  my  tongue  after  that,  and 
he  ate  his  dinner  with  the  coarse  relish  of  a 
man  half  starved. 

"This  is  the  first  time  to-day,"  he  began,  as 
we  arose  from  the  table,  "  that  I've  had  an  ap 
petite  for  smoke.  You  don't  mind  a  pipe  ?  " 

And  when  I  shook  my  head,  he  fished  a  jack- 
knife  and  a  piece  of  plug  tobacco  from  his 
pocket,  and  whittled  off  enough  to  fill  a  pipe. 
But  when  he  came  to  the  next  stage  I  saw  that 
something  was  wrong,  for  I  had  watched  him 
with  a  purpose  of  my  own. 

He  felt  in  each  of  his  pockets  by  turn,  and 
then  nervously  by  twos,  and  finally  in  all  of 


Forward  House 


them  all  at  once,  or  so  it  seemed,  as  a  man  will 
when  he  has  reached  the  critical  point  of  search 
for  something  lost.  So  I  asked  him  what  was 
amiss,  though  I  very  well  knew. 

"Why,"  said  he,  quite  crestfallen,  "I've 
lost  my  pipe." 

"  Then  you've  fallen  in  with  the  right  man," 
I  said,  "for  I'm  strong  on  pipes.  Will  you 
have  a  clay  or  a  briar  or  a  meerschaum  ?  ' ' 

"  You  don't  understand,"  he  said,  a  little  im 
patiently.  "  I've  no  great  stock  of  sentiment, 
but  that  pipe  was  an  old  friend.  I've  had  it 
Lord  knows  how  long.  I  may  have  left  it  on 
his  table,"  he  added,  more  to  himself  than  to 
me  ;  and  then  abruptly,  ' '  Do  you  know  Col 
onel  Forward,  of  East  Crag?" 

"  I  have  met  him,"  I  replied. 

"And  is  he  a  friend  of  yours  ?  " 

"  No,"  said  I,  "  and  I  distrust  him." 

But  my  thrust  did  not  have  the  effect  that  I 
had  anticipated,  for  the  sailor  looked  mightily 
pleased  at  this  reply. 

"  Good,"  said  he,  roundly.  "  I  like  you  the 
better  for  that." 

"  But  what  has  Colonel  Forward  to  do  with 
the  matter  ?  "  I  could  not  help  asking. 

"  I  have  not  said  he  had  anything  to  do 
with  it,"  the  man  answered,  sharply.  "  As  for 

30 


/  Entertain  a  Visitor 


the  pipe,  I  dare  say  I've  dropped  it  on  the 
rocks,  and  I'll  look  for  it  later.  Meanwhile,  if 
you've  an  old  briar  you  can  spare,  I'll  trouble 
you  for  it." 

I  saw  from  his  manner  that  he  was  not  to  be 
drawn  out  further,  so  I  held  my  peace,  and  we 
lighted  our  pipes.  The  conversation  lagged, 
and  I  left  him  for  a  little  while.  When  I  re 
turned  he  had  fallen  asleep.  I  sat  and  watched 
him  for  an  hour,  and  though  he  often  stirred  at 
the  noise  of  the  storm,  he  never  once  opened 
his  eyes,  and  I  was  glad  for  him  to  get  the  rest 
that  I  saw  he  so  sorely  needed. 

Suddenly,  above  the  howl  of  the  wind  a  gun 
boomed  to  the  east.  To  a  dweller  on  that 
coast  there  is  no  such  ominous  and  dismal  sound 
in  a  storm  as  this.  It  is  like  a  fire-bell  in  the 
night,  but  a  hundred  times  more  doleful  and 
significant.  To  the  south  of  us  and  nearly  a 
mile  off  shore,  a  wicked  reef  shows  at  low  water, 
and  cuts  off  that  side  of  the  cape  from  the  ap 
proach  of  ships.  There  is  a  light  on  the  reef, 
but  in  thick  weather  the  coasters  from  the  north 
sometimes  lose  their  bearings  and  crash  into  the 
Crag,  where  the  water  is  deep  enough  to  float  a 
war  ship  close  in  shore.  My  trained  ear  told 
me  that  the  sound  came  from  the  east. 

However  soundly  the  sailor  had  slept,  he  was 

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on  his  feet  as  quickly  as  I,  broad  awake  and 
quivering  with  excitement. 

"  Did  you  hear  that,"  he  cried,  "  or  was  I 
dreaming  ?  ' ' 

"  It  was  no  dream,"  said  I,  already  running 
for  my  storm  coat,  and  as  I  spoke  I  heard  the 
sound  again. 

"  They're  off  the  Crag,"  I  shouted  back  to 
him,  but  he  had  pulled  his  cap  down  firmly,  and 
was  turning  up  the  collar  of  his  coat. 

"  By  God  !  "  said  he,  "  then  it's  all  right  !  " 
And  before  I  could  join  him  he  was  tugging 
madly  at  the  front  door. 

It  seemed  to  me  that  it  was  all  wrong,  but  I 
had  no  chance  to  tell  him  so,  even  if  I  had 
thought  it  worth  my  while.  He  was  a  better 
runner  than  I,  and  he  had  the  start  of  me,  be 
sides  which  I  had  my  weak  ankle  to  favor,  so 
that  when  I  got  into  the  road,  he  was  a  hundred 
yards  away,  running  like  a  deer  toward  the 
Crag. 

I  followed  him  as  well  as  I  could,  but  he 
kept  his  lead,  and  when  I  reached  the  cliff  he 
was  pacing  back  and  forth  upon  the  very  verge 
of  it  and  scanning  the  sea,  or  as  much  of  it  as 
his  eyes  commanded,  for  the. rain  and  spray 
made  it  impossible  for  us  to  see  much  farther 
than  the  breakers  at  our  feet. 

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''Did  you  hear  it  again?"  he  roared  into 
my  ears  as  I  came  up.  I  shook  my  head. 

"Two  guns,"  he  bawled.  "  Then  it's  all 
right,  and  there'll  be  merry  hell  before  morn 
ing,"  and  he  shouted  with  laughter  that  I  could 
fairly  hear  above  the  din  of  the  storm. 

I  believed  the  man  was  mad,  and  fell  back 
out  of  his  way.  No  thought  but  of  a  stranded 
ship  and  a  drowning  crew  had  come  to  me  at 
the  sound  of  the  guns,  and  the  horror  of  it  and 
of  his  shocking  flippancy  lay  upon  my  face  as  I 
looked  at  him.  He  saw  the  look  upon  my  face 
and  the  laugh  died  out  of  his. 

"What's  the  matter  with  you,  man?"  he 
shouted,  coming  a  step  nearer. 

"  Stand  off,"  I  cried,  backing  down  the  hill. 
"  Are  you  a  fiend  or  a  mad  man,  that  you  can 
make  sport  at  a  time  like  this  ?  ' ' 

"  Stuff,"  said  he,  in  a  changed  voice.  "  I 
keep  forgetting  that  you  know  nothing  about  all 
this.  No,  I'm  neither  mad  nor  a  fiend.  But  I 
know  a  man  at  East  Crag  who'll  be  both  before 
to-morrow  morning,  and  I've  beaten  him  this 
day.  I  swear,  if  you  were  a  day  younger  and 
our  acquaintance  an  hour  older,  I'd  make  you 
dance  with  me  here  on  the  turf.  But  come 
down  out  of  the  wind  now,  and  I'll  ease  your 
old-maid  mind." 

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And  with  that  he  seized  me  by  the  arm,  and 
half  dragged  me  down  the  hill.  I  thought  he 
would  have  stopped  when  we  reached  the  level, 
but  he  kept  on  without  a  word  until  we  came 
to  the  house. 


34 


IV 


IN    WHICH    A    BOTTLE    FIGURES 

HE  shook  himself  when  we  got  inside 
again,  and  stalked  furiously  back  and 
forth  across  the  room  for  some  minutes,-  appar 
ently  forgetful  both  of  me  and  of  his  promise. 
I  watched  him  from  a  corner  and  at  length  he 
took  his  old  seat  before  the  fire. 

"  And  you  think  I'm  crazy,  eh,  old  lady?" 
says  he,  turning  toward  me.  "Well,  maybe, 
may  be,  but  whether  or  no,  it's  fitter  that  we 
should  know  what  to  call  each  other,  and  my 
name  is,  let  us  say — Nicholson." 

"That  is  as  it  may  be,"  I  answered,  a  bit 
piqued  at  the  name  he  had  given  me  and  the 
obvious  concealment  of  his  own.  "  I  am  John 
Hunt — to  you  and  to  everybody  else." 

"  So  much  by  way  of  introduction,"  he  said, 
ignoring  my  sneer.  "  And  now,  Mister  Hunt, 
you  may  set  your  mind  easy  about  that  ship. 
I  know  her  well, — and  her  cunning  skipper," — I 

35 


thought  the  man  balked  at  the  word,  and  a 
shadow  crossed  his  face;  but  he  went  on, — 
"  I  know  what  the  two  guns  mean,  and  it  isn't 
danger.  There's  no  wreck,  and  no  drowning 
crew,  and  no  misery  aboard  her,  you  can  wager. 
The  misery's  all  ashore,"  he  added,  and  here 
again  there  was  the  faintest  touch  of  bitterness 
in  his  voice  ;  but  he  smiled  grimly  and  gave  me 
a  patronizing  look  that  prompted  me  to  pull  him 
down  a  bit. 

"  I'm  glad  to  hear  it,"  said  I,  still  nettled  ; 
"  and  suppose  now  you  tell  me  what  became  of 
the  young  lady." 

If  ever  a  man  was  disconcerted  it  was  he. 
He  started  clean  out  of  his  chair  with  an  oath, 
and  then  asked  me,  with  a  fine  assumption  of 
indifference,  what  the  deuce  I  meant.  I  saw  I 
was  in  for  it  at  last,  and  told  him  as  much  as  I 
chose,  with  such  reservations  as  my  caution  and 
my  promise  to  the  lady  suggested — and  among 
these  I  made  no  reference  to  the  glass-stoppered 
bottle. 

He  seemed  a  good  deal  put  out  at  my  knowl 
edge  of  the  matter,  but  he  carried  it  off  very 
well,  and  when  I  came  to  relate  my  meeting 
with  Colonel  Forward,  he  pursed  his  lips  and 
whistled.  From  that  point  his  embarrassment 
was  lost  in  his  newly  aroused  interest.  When  I 

36 


Iii  Which  a  Bottle  Figures 


had  finished,  I  gave  him  his  pipe,  which  he  took 
rather  sheepishly,  I  thought. 

"So  it  was  you,"  he  said,  with  a  bad  look 
in  his  eyes,  "  who  alarmed  us  last  night  and 
got  our  lantern.  Well,  well,  let  it  go,"  and 
he  laughed,  uneasily. 

"  I  wish  I  had  known  it  was  you,  and  not 
the  old  man  pawing  around  on  the  cliff  there," 
he  said  again,  after  a  little  pause  •  but  from  his 
manner  I  was  truly  glad  he  had  not  been  unde 
ceived.  Then  he  added,  with  a  manifest  effort 
to  keep  pleasant : 

"  Well,  so  much  the  better.  You  shall  both 
make  it  up  to  me,  depend  upon  that." 

He  scowled  at  the  fire  a  moment,  and  then 
the  wrinkle  left  his  forehead  and  he  chuc 
kled. 

' '  And  all  the  time  I  was  thinking  myself  so 
damned  smart, ' '  said  he,  ' '  you  had  this  in  you. 
That  toast,  now 

"  To  be  quite  frank,"  I  interrupted,  "  it 
was  to  the  lady  of  the  lantern." 

"  Umph,"  said  he,  swallowing  hard  as 
though  my  phrase  disagreed  with  him.  "  Well, 
Mister  John  Hunt,  you  may  quiet  your  fears  if 
they  lie  in  that  quarter.  She's  a  dear  girl,  is 
Molly,  and  she's  not  likely  to  suffer  through 
me." 

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He  was  eying  me  queerly  as  he  spoke,  and 
perhaps  I  looked  sceptical,  for  he  frowned  sud 
denly,  and  got  on  his  feet  with  an  oath  that  I 
need  not  repeat. 

"See  here,"  said  he,  swaggering  before  me 
in  an  attitude  that  I  liked  no  more  than  the 
challenge  in  his  wicked  eyes.  "  Look  me  in 
the  face — straight  in  the  eyes,  now.  My  name 
is  Nicholson.  Do  you  hear,  Mister  Hunt  ? 
Nicholson  ! ' ' 

He  waited,  and  I  thought  his  eyes  shifted  a 
bit  as  I  looked  him  full  in  the  face.  Yet  he 
looked  for  all  the  world  as  though  he  would 
like  nothing  better  than  for  me  to  give  him  the 
lie  then  and  there ;  but  I  frankly  did  not  know 
the  man,  and  such  doubts  as  I  had  I  did  not 
scruple  to  put  behind  me.  Under  the  cir 
cumstances,  I  would  have  called  him  Saint  Pe 
ter,  had  he  so  much  as  suggested  it,  and  never 
asked  him  for  credentials.  Indeed,  my  eager 
ness  to  take  him  at  his  own  valuation  must  have 
been  apparent,  for  he  turned  away  with  an  im 
patient  laugh  as  he  stopped  speaking. 

''There,  there,"  said  he,  "I'm  upset,  and 
that's  a  fact.  Damn  it,  man,  why  couldn't 
you  have  minded  your  own  business  and  let  the 
girl  go  without  following  her;  "  and  then,  as  if 
he  had  said  too  much,  "  about  those  For- 

33 


In  Wlricb  a  Bottle  Figures 


wards,"  he  added,  hastily.  "Do  you  know 
the  family?  " 

I  shook  my  head,  but  he  looked  incredu 
lous. 

"  How  long  have  you  lived  here?  "  said  he. 

"  Twenty  years,"  I  answered. 

"What!  "  says  he,  sharply,  "you  have 
lived  here  longer  than  Colonel  Forward  him 
self  " — he  looked  suspiciously  down  at  me 
again — "  and  you  mean  to  tell  me  that  you 
don't  know  your  next  neighbor,  and  more  or 
less  of  his  business  ?  No,  no,  no,  man.  That 
won't  do,  you're  a  contradiction  in  terms." 

It  was  one  way  of  calling  me  a  liar,  and  not 
a  very  polite  way  at  that.  I  felt  my  cheeks 
flaming  as  I  stood  up  and  faced  him. 

"You've  gone  too  far,"  said  I,  "and  I'll 
submit  to  your  bullying  no  longer.  You  and 
your  Forwards  are  one  to  me,  and  I'm  heartily 
sick  of  the  sight  of  you.  By  the  help  of  God 
and  the  absence  of  womankind,  I've  been  away 
from  gossip  half  my  life,  and  if  a  silly  woman 
with  a  lantern " 

He  stopped  me  with  a  quick  gesture. 

"  You  forget  yourself,"  said  he,  with  a  dig 
nity  that  confused  me.  "  Confine  your  abuse 
to  me." 

The  rebuke  brought  me  down. 

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Forward  House 


"You're  right,"  said  I,  cooling  in  an  in 
stant,  "and  I  thank  you  for  reminding  me; 
but  I've  no  abuse  for  anyone." 

"I  am  heartily  glad,  "  he  replied,  with  no 
trace  of  irony. 

"  But,"  I  went  on,  "I  say  once  for  all  that 
I  do  not  know  the  Forward  brood.  I  never 
spoke  to  the  old  man  before  last  night,  and  I 
want  never  to  speak  to  him  again.  I  only  ask 
that  God  keep  me  shut  of  him  and  his,  and  you 
may  all  go  hang  for  any  interference  from  me. 
I've  no  stomach  for  meddling  further  with 
you. ' ' 

He  bowed,  gravely. 

"  Have  you  quite  done?"  he  asked,  polite- 

iy. 

"  No,"  said  I,  with  a  silly  inspiration  to  do 
something  smart,  and  I  stalked  across  the  room 
and  whipped  open  the  door  of  my  little  cup 
board.  "  There's  this  besides.  I've  some 
thing  here  that  belongs  to  you,  and  you'd  bet 
ter  take  it  now." 

I  took  the  glass-stoppered  bottle  from  the 
shelf,  and  wheeled  around  to  him  again.  He 
had  been  watching  me  with  a  half-interested 
look,  but  the  change  that  came  over  his  face 
when  he  saw  the  bottle  swinging  in  my  hand 
was  wonderful  to  see. 

40 


In  Which  a  Bottle  Figures 


"  Stop,  you  reckless  fool,"  he  shouted. 
"  Put  it  clown — put  it  down  carefully — care 
fully  !  Good  God,  man,  you  handle  it  as  if  it 
were  sawdust.  Put  it  down,  I  say  !  " 

Instead  of  approaching  me,  he  was  backing 
away  with  a  celerity  that  would  have  been 
amusing  had  his  terror  not  been  so  shockingly 
manifest.  His  face  was  the  color  of  the  stuff  in 
the  bottle,  and  I  looked  at  him  in  dismay. 
Something  of  his  alarm  communicated  itself  to 
me,  and  when  he  saw  me  place  the  bottle  cau 
tiously  on  the  table  as  he  had  ordered,  the  blood 
came  into  his  face  again  and  he  drew  a  long 
breath. 

"  Put  it  back  in  the  cupboard,"  said  he, 
with  more  coolness.  "Put  it  back  and  let  it 
stay  there,  and  mind  how  you  handle  it ;  "  and 
as  I  gingerly  replaced  it  on  the  shelf  and  closed 
the  door,  "  Now,"  said  he,  "  you  may  tell  me 
where  you  got  that  bottle,  if  you  please,  and 
why  the  devil  I've  not  known  of  this  sooner." 

We  had  changed  places  again.  His  anger  was 
rising,  and  mine  had  lost  itself  in  the  shock  of 
his  surprising  behavior.  So  I  told  him  how 
I  had  found  the  bottle,  and  for  having  kept  it 
from  him,  I  made  such  excuses  as  I  could.  For 
a  moment  he  did  not  speak,  but  stood  as  if  de 
liberating  whether  to  let  it  pass  or  to  knock  me 


Forward  House 


down.  Then  his  rage  left  him  and  I  saw  he 
was  for  peace. 

"  You  gave  me  a  start,"  says  he,  nervously, 
"  but  we'll  call  it  square,  since  no  harm's  done. 
And  now  I  caution  you  to  let  that  stuff 
alone.  It  is  mine,  as  you  suspected,  but 
it's  safer  in  that  closet  of  yours  than  in  my 
pocket.  Leave  it  there  until  I  ask  you  for  it. 
I  swear,"  he  added,  drawing  a  deep  breath  of 
relief,  "  I  thought  for  a  minute  you  were  for 
throwing  it  in  the  fire." 

"  And  if  I  had,"  said  I,  "  what  then  ?  " 

He  stared  at  me  blankly,  and  opened  his 
mouth  to  speak,  but  thought  better  of  it  and 
began  humming  an  old  hymn. 

"  Are  you  a  Christian?  "  he  asked,  breaking 
off  as  suddenly  as  he  had  begun,  and  cocking 
his  head  on  one  side  as  he  spoke.  And  when 
I  looked  puzzled,  he  broke  into  loud  laughter 
and  dropped  back  into  the  chair  he  had  left. 

"Well,  well,"  he  said,  "we  won't  go  into 
that.  Perhaps  your  future's  not  secure,  and 
theology  isn't  my  strong  point.  But  I  owe 
you  a  word  about  myself ' ' 

""And  the  young  lady,"  I  interrupted. 

"  Upon  my  soul,"  he  said,  with  a  frown, 
"you're  bold  enough  about  some  things. 
Mister  Hunt.  Let  me  assure  you  that  the 
42 


///.  Which  a  Bottle  Figures 

young  lady,  my — my — niece,  is  quite  safe,  quite 
safe,  or  I'd  not  be  loafing  here.  She's  out  of 
reach,  thank  God.  And  if  you'll  take  my  ad 
vice,  you'll  let  that  information  suffice  you  until 
I  choose  to  speak  of  her  again." 

There  was  a  strange  mixture  of  sincerity  and 
hesitation  about  this  speech,  and  while  I  did 
not  doubt  that  the  woman  had  been  sent 
aboard  the  ship,  I  had  my  own  views  about  her 
being  this  man's  niece.  Each  time  she  had 
addressed  him  during  that  brief  dialogue  be 
fore  my  house,  she  had  called  him  Richard. 
But  I  had  made  no  mention  of  that  little  ex 
cursion  of  theirs — remembering  my  promise 
to  her.  I  did  not  answer  him,  and  he  watched 
me  curiously  as  though  he  half  suspected  me  of 
keeping  something  back. 

"First  of  all,"  he  said,  after  a  pause,  "do 
you  suppose  that  anyone  but  the  Colonel  and 
yourself  saw  us  last  night  ?  " 

"  No,"  said  I,  "  and  I  will  stake  all  I  have 
that  I  am  right.  There  is  no  lonelier  bit  of 
road  on  the  coast  than  this,  and  since  the  fish 
ing  people  abandoned  their  old  look-out  on  the 
Crag,  there  has  been  no  travel  worth  mention 
ing  this  side  of  Forward  House. ' ' 

"  Excellent,"  he  said,  rubbing  his  hands  to 
gether,  and  resuming  his  good  humor  suddenly 

43 


Forward  House 


as  if  a  pleasant  thought  had  struck  him.  "  I 
envy  you  your  place  here,"  he  continued  with 
a  sigh,  and  looked  at  me  narrowly.  I  did  not 
see  the  bearing  of  his  remark,  and  as  I  made 
no  reply  to  it,  he  came  out  boldly. 

"  Mister  Hunt,"  says  he,  "  I'm  a  hard- 
pressed  man,  and  I  want  some  help.  You've 
been  good  to  me  so  far,  but  I've  more  to  ask." 
He  sat  up  in  his  chair  and  leaned  toward  me. 
"  There's  a  wrong  being  done — and  you  have 
already  shown  your  sympathy  for  the  poor 
girl  who  is  to  suffer  by  it,"  and  he  paused 
as  if  to  note  the  effect  of  that  speech  upon 
me.  "  This  is  what  I  have  to  ask,"  he  added, 
quickly,  "  that  you  will  let  me  sleep  under 
your  roof  to-night." 

I  have  always  lent  myself  readily  to  imposi 
tion,  and  there  was  a  zest  about  this  affair  that 
tickled  my  fancy  and  stirred  my  blood. 

"Stay  and  welcome,"  said  I,  "but  I'll 
make  you  no  pledges.  Whatever  I  can 
do " 

"You'll  do  for  the  girl,"  he  said,  with  a 
laugh  I  didn't  like.  And  before  I  could  re 
monstrate  or  finish  the  speech  he  had  taken 
out  of  my  mouth,  he  went  on,  "  Thank 
you,  Mister  Hunt.  You  have  a  chivalrous 
soul." 

44 


In  Which  a  Bottle  Figures 


I  blush  to  think  how  ready  I  was  to  enter 
tain  him,  but  it  does  me  good  to  remember 
that,  however  mistakenly  I  acted,  I  believed 
that  I  was  serving  her. 


45 


I   YIELD    A    POINT 

OF  the  yarn  which  Nicholson  finally  spun 
me  that  afternoon  as  we  sat  drying  by 
my  fire,  I  have  now  no  adequate  remembrance. 
In  the  main  it  was  a  smooth  and  creditable  per 
formance,  but  it  has  no  place  in  the  story  I  am 
telling,  and  for  two  reasons  :  It  purported  to 
be  the  man's  history,  which  is  no  affair  of  mine, 
and  it  was  chiefly  a  lie.  I  am  tempted  to  tran 
scribe  it  as  a  tribute  to  his  ingenuity,  for  its 
skilful  blending  of  truth  and  untruth  to  serve  a 
temporary  emergency,  reveals  to  my  mind  the 
hand  of  a  master. 

The  remarkable  part  of  it  was  that  he  said  as 
little  as  possible  about  his  business  on  East 
Crag  and  the  actors  in  the  performance  of  the 
night  before.  So  when  he  paused  near  the 
end  of  his  tale  to  refill  his  pipe,  I  could  not 
conceal  my  disappointment  and  my  impatience. 

"  I  am  greatly  entertained,"  said  I,  politely, 
"but  you  were  to  tell  me  something  of  the 
46 


/  Yield  a  Point 


young  lady  and  the  old  man  from  Forward 
House." 

"Was  I?"  says  he,  apparently  in  honest 
surprise.  "  Well,  I'll  say  this  much  of  Col 
onel  Forward — he's  a  misguided  man,  Mister 
Hunt,  to  say  no  worse  of  him.  In  my  cooler 
moments  I  acquit  him  of  the  greater  blame,  and 
believe  him  a  tool  in  the  hands  of  scoundrels," 
and  he  went  on  filling  his  pipe. 

I  gave  him  a  chance  to  say  more,  but  when 
I  saw  he  had  no  disposition  to  do  so,  I  spoke 
again. 

"  And  on  that  vague  speech,"  said  I,  "  you 
rely  on  my  help  against  him  in  an  affair  where 
all  the  presumptions  are  against  you.  It  won't 
do,  Mister  Nicholson — if  that  be  your  name — 
I  must  know  more,  or ' 

"  Or?  "  he  repeated  quietly,  as  I  hesitated. 

"  Or  I  wash  my  hands  of  the  business," 
said  I. 

"That  seems  a  simple  operation,"  he  an 
swered,  "but  how  do  you  purpose  to  do  it? 
No,  no.  You'll  do  no  such  thing,  Mister 
Hunt.  Believe  me,  you'll  go  further  yet,  and 
under  no  compulsion,  either." 

He  was  looking  quite  calmly  at  me,  and  as 
he  saw  me  about  to  speak,  he  raised  his  hand 
with  a  slight  gesture  of  remonstrance. 

47 


Forward  House 


"Wait,"  says  he.  "Do  you  know  what 
I've  saved  that  girl  from?  Well,  they've  kept 
her  prisoner  in  that  old  barrack  against  her 
will,  and  they  would  have  forced  her  to  marry 
a  bigger  villain  than  the  old  man,  if  I  hadn't 
interfered.  For  her  I  have  risked  and  suffered 
much,  and  now  I've  saved  her,  and  what 
further  reckoning  I  have  at  that  house  shall  be 
done  to-night." 

But  I  was  not  listening.  I  had  no  ears  for 
anything  after  that  speech  about  the  marriage. 

"  Force  her  to  a  marriage?  "  said  I,  angrily. 
"Why,  man,  what  business —  "  and  there  I 
stopped  myself  and  reddened,  for  I  saw  him 
smiling  at  my  wrath. 

"Who  is  he?"  said  I,  swallowing  my  an 
ger. 

"Have  you  heard  of  the  old  man's  sailor 
son?"  he  asked  after  a  pause,  and  he  did  not 
turn  his  face  my  way. 

"  No,"  I  answered. 

"Well,"  said  he,  quietly,  "I've  said 
enough." 

"  The  damned  villain,"  said  I,  and  the  man 
turned  toward  me  again  with  a  stranger  look  on 
his  face  than  I  had  yet  seen  rest  there. 

"Yes,  all  of  that,"  says  he,  with  a  smile; 
"all  that,  Mister  Hunt,  and  more  besides.  I 

48 


/  Yield  a  Point 


know  him  well,  and  I  speak  from  the  heart 
when  I  say  his  sins  appall  me. ' ' 

He  leaned  toward  the  fire  and  knocked  the 
ashes  from  his  pipe  on  the  hearth,  and  some 
thing  in  his  face,  as  the  light  shone  on  it, 
checked  the  question  that  was  on  my  tongue. 

"  Hunt,"  said  he,  suddenly,  jumping  from 
his  chair,  "God  bless  your  clever  old  heart! 
You're  a  good  fellow,  and  I'll  not  do  it,  I'll 
not  do  it." 

He  was  greatly  agitated,  and  I  stared  stupidly 
at  him  as  he  approached  me.  He  seized  one  of 
my  hands  in  both  his  own  and  looked  in  my 
face,  and  his  was  white  as  snow. 

How  slight  a  thing  sometimes  makes  or  mars 
a  noble  purpose  !  At  that  instant,  I  knew  the 
man's  better  instincts  were  on  top,  but  the 
puzzled  look  in  my  face  drew  his  attention,  and 
as  he  looked,  he  laughed.  And  there  was  the 
turning  point,  for  under  that  laughter  his  reso 
lution  melted.  He  flung  my  hand  from  him 
and  walked  to  the  window.  And  he  stood  there 
looking  out  on  the  road  and  drumming  on  the 
casement  with  his  fingers. 

"Mister  Hunt,"  says  he,  without  changing 
his  position,  "  I'm  calling  on  Colonel  Forward 
to-night. ' ' 

I  made  no  answer. 

49 


"And  I  want  a  witness,"  he  went  on  pres 
ently,  and  still  I  did  not  reply,  for  I  knew  what 
he  was  coming  to. 

"  You  are  my  reliance,"  he  said  again,  slow 
ly,  "and  I  think  he  would  hear  reason  from  a 
neighbor,  where  he  would  have  only  curses  for 
me." 

Mindful  of  my  own  experience  with  the  old 
gentleman,  I  had  views  on  this  point,  but  as  I 
raised  my  head  to  reply,  the  white  door  of  the 
cupboard  stared  back  at  me  and  I  thought  of 
the  bottle  inside.  A  dreadful  suspicion  flashed 
across  my  mind,  and  while  I  was  still  battling 
it,  the  man  spoke  again. 

"It  is  for  the  girl's  sake,"  he  said,  still 
drumming  with  his  fingers,  and  I  shivered  as  I 
fitted  his  answer  to  my  unspoken  thought. 

"No,"  said  I,  with  an  oath,  "I'll  have  no 
more  to  do  with  it.  I'll  tell  you  what  it  is — 
it's  murder,  and  you'll  hatch  no  schemes  here." 

He  sprang  away  from  the  window  and  faced 
me. 

"What!  "  he  shouted,  and  came  upon  me 
bristling  with  rage.  "  What  do  you  mean  ?  " 

"  I  mean  the  poison  in  that  bottle,"  said  I, 
standing  up  to  him ;  and  at  that  his  wrath 
collapsed  again,  and  he  stepped  back  and  sur 
veyed  me  with  a  look  of  pity. 

50 


/  Yield  a  Point 


"  Heavens  !  "  said  he,  with  evident  relief. 
"  What  a  detective  you  would  make,  Mister 
Hunt  !  Poison  !  "  and  he  laughed.  "And  I 
suppose  you  think  I'm  planning  to  cram  that 
stuff  down  the  old  man's  throat,  and  that  I 
want  you  along  to  see  me  do  it !  God  bless  my 
soul,  how  funny  you  are  !  " 

"  What  is  it,  then  ?  "  I  said,  doggedly,  and 
paid  no  heed  to  his  sarcasm. 

"The  stuff  in  the  bottle?  A  tonic,  man," 
he  said,  dryly.  "  Good  for  the  nerves.  But 
see  that  you  let  it  alone,  and  I'll  take  my  oath 
it  shall  never  be  nearer  Colonel  Forward  than 
it  is  this  minute." 

"That's  all  very  well,"  I  persisted,  "but 
you  are  keeping  something  back  from  me " 

"  How  in  the  world  did  you  divine  it?  "  he 
interrupted,  with  mock  seriousness. 

"Will  you  tell  me  what  that  bottle  is,  and 
how  you  came  by  it?  "  said  I. 

"  No,  Mister  Hunt,"  he  answered,  promptly, 
"I  won't;  but  I'll  tell  you  that  it  shall  cut  no 
figure  to-night.  Will  that  do  you  ?  ' ' 

"Since  I'm  not  going  with  you,"  said  I, 
"it's  the  same  to  me  whether  it  cuts  a  figure 
or  not." 

I  had  reckoned  on  bringing  him  to  terms, 
and  I  was  chagrined  at  his  reply. 


Forward  House 


"  You  shall  do  as  you  please,"  says  he,  care 
lessly.  "  I've  said  all  I  can,  and  if  you  don't 
choose  to  help  us  further,  at  least  I  must  not  be 
ungrateful  for  what  you've  done  already." 

He  held  out  his  hand,  and  as  I  took  it, 
"Good-by,"  he  said.  "I  thank  you,  Mister 
Hunt,  arid — do  you  watch  that  bottle  until  I 
call  for  it." 

And  when  I  found  speech  to  answer  him,  he 
had  passed  out,  and  the  front  door  was  slam 
ming  behind  him. 

I  think  he  had  some  confidence  that  I  would 
follow  him,  for  he  loitered  in  the  yard  as  if 
loath  to  go,  in  spite  of  his  zeal  to  leave  my 
house.  But  at  the  first  I  was  glad  to  be  rid  of 
him,  and  I  watched  him  with  satisfaction  from 
my  window  as  he  finally  turned  into  the  road 
and  strode  away  toward  Forward  House.  But 
when  he  disappeared  from  view,  I  felt  that 
with  him  had  gone  great  possibilities.  Until 
then  I  had  kept  my  adventure  well  in  hand, 
but  here  was  a  most  inglorious  ending  of  what 
had  promised  much.  I  dwelt  again  on  what 
he  had  told  me  and  on  the  woman's  plight, 
and  my  heart  misgave  me.  I  wished  I  had 
temporized  with  him.  And  that  mood  shaded 
off  into  a  burning  curiosity  to  know  more  than 
I  already  knew.  I  longed  to  look  once  more 


/  Yield  a  Point 


upon  that  bottle,  and  dared  not  take  it  from 
the  shelf. 

He  had  been  gone  not  upward  of  fifteen  min 
utes,  before  I  was  straining  my  eyes  for  some 
sign  of  him  returning,  and  when  the  time  had 
stretched  to  half  an  hour,  I  was  waiting  on  the 
door-step.  A  little  later,  alas,  I  had  put  on 
my  hat  and  was  walking  in  the  road  ! 

It  had  grown  dusk,  and  I  could  barely  see 
the  top  of  the  hill  beyond.  I  glued  my  eyes 
to  that  point  and  waited  hoping,  and  finally,  to 
my  great  delight,  an  indistinct  something 
moved  in  the  road  and  gained  outline  as  it  ap 
proached.  I  knew  the  man's  strong  walk,  and 
presently  Nicholson  had  come  up  to  me.  He 
did  not  speak,  but  stopped  beside  me  and  peered 
in  my  face.  Perhaps  he  was  reassured  by  what 
he  saw;  but  his  voice  when  he  addressed  me 
was  full  of  dejection,  and  he  had  the  manner 
of  one  suffering  from  keen  disappointment. 

"I  am  repulsed,"  said  he.  "It's  no  use, 
Mister  Hunt,  he  will  not  see  me  alone." 

"  Have  you  been  there,  then  ?  "  I  asked. 

"  And  where  have  you  been  ?  "  he  questioned 
by  way  of  answer  and  looking  sharply  at  me  the 
while. 

"  No  farther  than  you  see  me  now,"  I  said, 
and  the  sharp  look  left  his  face. 

53 


"Yes,"  says  he,  with  a  sigh,  dropping  his 
eyes,  "  I've  been  there,  and  it  was  a  fruitless 
errand.  I  am  one  man  against  the  hosts  of 
hell." 

His  bitterness  grew  on  him  as  he  spoke. 

"  Come  in,"  said  I,  seizing  his  arm.  "  Come 
in  and  take  a  drink.  You  need  it." 

He  came,  as  a  matter  of  course,  and  when 
we  had  got  inside  the  house  again,  dropped 
moodily  into  his  chair. 

"  I  can  get  no  speech  with  him,"  he  began, 
presently,  "and  I  must  give  it  up;"  and  he 
buried  his  face  in  his  hands. 

His  bowed  figure  was  inexpressibly  sad  to  me 
in  the  firelight,  and  the  man's  manner  touched 
me. 

"  Come,  come,"  said  I.  "I  hope  it's  not 
so  bad  as  that." 

"  There's  the  one  thing  yet,"  said  he,  quiet 
ly,  without  lifting  his  head. 

' '  And  that  ?  ' ' 

"I  told  him  through  his  bolted  door,  of 
you,"  said  he,  "  and  he  says  he  knows  you  for 
an  honorable  man,  and  respects  you.  If  you 
will  go  there  with  me " 

He  stopped  and  lifted  his  face  from  his  hands. 

"  Did  he  say  that  ?  "  I  asked. 

"More,"   Nicholson    answered;    "but  I'll 

54 


/  Yield  a  Point 


not  spoil  you  with  it.  It's  plain  you  stand 
well  hereabouts." 

I  have  this  to  urge  on  my  own  behalf.  I  was 
a  lonely  man,  far  from  the  world  that  lay  about 
me,  and  the  honey  of  flattery  was  new  to  me. 
I  drew  him  out,  eager  for  whatever  he  chose  to 
tell  me  of  the  old  man's  compliments,  and  they 
seemed  most  reasonable  and  fair.  And  he 
simulated  a  reluctance  to  tell  me  that  only 
added  to  the  charm.  What  chance  had  I 
against  this  schemer  ?  It  is  sickening  to  me 
no\v  as  I  think  of  it,  and  I  wonder  that  I  be 
lieved  him,  but  I  know  many  a  wiser  man  than 
I  whose  rule  is  based  on  no  broader  principle 
than  to  believe  what  is  pleasant  to  his  ears,  and 
reject  the  rest. 

"You  see  how  it  is,"  said  he  at  length, 
"  and  I  can  say  no  more." 

"  I  will  go  with  you,"  said  I,  blindly,  "  and 
do  my  part." 

"Thank  you,  Mister  Hunt,"  he  answered; 
' '  for  my  own  sake,  and  most  of  all,  for 
Molly's." 

We  sat  a  little  while  without  speaking.  The 
day  had  quite  gone  out,  and  perhaps  it  was 
just  as  well  so,  for  in  a  better  light  he  had  cer 
tainly  seen  satisfied  vanity  in  my  face,  and  I 
a  more  hateful  look  than  that  in  his. 

55 


VI 

WE    CALL    UPON    COLONEL   FORWARD 

I  MADE  shift  presently  to  get  a  few  lights  in 
the  house,  and  we  foraged  for  something  to 
eat,  for  Nicholson  had  taken  his  stand  against 
my  cooking  again  for  him  that  day,  and  we 
compromised  on  cold  meat  and  bread. 

The  wind  had  gone  down  with  the  sun,  and 
the  moon  shone  through  the  breaking  clouds. 
Nicholson's  spirits  seemed  to  clear  with  the 
weather.  He  was  constantly  running  to  the 
window  and  pressing  his  face  against  the  pane 
to  get  a  view  of  the  sky,  whistling  and  hum 
ming  to  himself  the  while. 

' '  At  eleven, ' '  said  he,  ' '  we  will  start  for  For 
ward  House,  and  when  I  have  settled  with  the 
old  gentleman  we  will  come  back  and  I'll  make 
you  a  punch. ' ' 

It  Avould  be  difficult  to  say  what  thought  was 
uppermost  in  my  mind.  I  felt  I  was  a  fool, 
and  in  for  a  bad  business,  and  I  resented  the 
man's  air  of  proprietorship.  Deep  down  in  my 

56 


heart  I  felt  I  should  yet  suffer  for  taking  cause 
with  him,  but  the  woman's  voice  was  in  my 
ears.  It  was  the  cry  of  one  in  distress,  and 
silenced  my  discretion.  For  my  life  I  could 
think  of  nothing  better  at  the  moment  than  to 
demur  at  the  lateness  of  the  start. 

"I  am  the  general,"  he  answered,  "leave 
the  campaign  to  me." 

"  But  don't  you  think  it  would  be  as  well  to 
discount  defeat  ?  "  I  suggested.  "  Suppose  the 
old  man  should  stand  us  off — we  are  but  two, 
against — how  many  ?  ' ' 

"Ah,  Mister  Hunt,"  says  he,  with  a  twinkle 
in  his  eye,  ' '  you  don' t  yet  know  me.  I  have  a 
way  about  me,  and  your  whole  theory  of  life  is 
askew  if  you  have  still  to  learn  that  persuasion 
is  the  most  effective  form  of  coercion." 

He  chuckled,  and  I  fell  to  wondering  what 
his  game  was.  One  thing  tormented  me  and  I 
could  not  make  it  fit  with  any  natural  theory 
of  his  bearing  to  the  matter.  When  Colonel 
Forward  had  accosted  me  last  night,  he  had 
plainly  mistaken  me  for  this  fellow,  and  though 
he  had  spoken  with  impatience,  he  had  ap 
proached  me  as  an  ally,  and  not  as  an  enemy. 
Yet  Nicholson  would  clearly  have  me  believe 
that  things  were  far  otherwise  between  them, 
and  I  knew  that  his  call  at  Forward  House  was 

57 


Forward  House 


to  have  no  friendly  errand  as  its  purpose.  But 
he  led  me  off  into  conversation  about  things 
that  had  no  bearing  on  his  business,  and  I  gave 
over  thinking  about  it. 

He  was  of  the  gayest  all  that  evening,  and  I 
fell  in  with  his  humor.  We  drank  and  smoked, 
and  he  sparkled  with  a  wit  that  charmed  me 
and  would  have  won  me  over  to  a  more  doubt 
ful  cause. 

About  ten  o'clock,  and  as  we  still  sat  talking, 
I  heard  a  faint  noise  outside,  and  far  toward 
the  sea,  which  sounded  like  a  bit  of  song. 
Nicholson's  face  darkened  in  an  instant. 

"  Did  you  hear  that?"  I  asked,  for  I  had 
seen  him  start. 

' '  It  was  nothing, ' '  said  he,  but  he  scowled 
and  jumped  to  his  feet.  "  Do  you  sit  here  and 
I'll  run  out  and  have  another  look  at  the  sky." 

As  the  door  closed  upon  him,  I  heard  the 
sound  again  and  more  distinctly.  It  was  a  sea 
song,  pitched  by  a  man's  voice.  But  it  stopped 
abruptly  a  moment  later,  breaking  short  off  in 
the  middle  of  the  tune,  and  I  heard  it  no  more. 
When  Nicholson  came  back  he  seemed  in  bet 
ter  spirits  than  ever. 

"  Ho,  ho,  Mister  Hunt,"  he  shouted,  with  a 
laugh.  "  I  thought  there  was  no  travel  on 
your  road  by  night.  You  fellows  never  know 

53 


We  Call  upon  Colonel  Forward 


what's  afoot.  I've  just  been  talking  with  a 
boozy  fisherman  who  was  passing  when  I  went 
out.  Your  ears  are  stout,  though,  for  it  was  he 
you  heard  singing." 

I  thought  he  would  have  been  annoyed,  but 
he  seemed  rather  amused  at  the  encounter,  and 
he  burst  out  laughing  at  intervals  after  that,  and 
when  I  asked  him  why,  he  would  but  laugh  the 
louder  and  say : 

"  That  fisherman's  song  has  tickled  me." 

And  finally  he  sang  the  song  himself,  in  a  big 
round  voice  that  filled  the  house.  Then  he  im 
provised  a  verse  lampooning  the  old  Colonel, 
and  sang  it  to  the  same  air,  which  set  me 
laughing. 

''You've  missed  your  calling,"  said  I. 
"With  such  a  knack  at  rhymes  and  all  the 
Bohemian  qualifications,  you  should  live  in 
print." 

"  No,  Mister  Hunt,"  says  he,  with  mock  seri 
ousness,  "  I  aspire  to  be  a  hero  of  song  rather 
than  a  writer  of  it.  Besides,  we  Bohemians 
have  lost  the  trick  of  mountain  climbing." 

He  saw  that  I  did  not  follow  him. 

"  Bohemia,"  he  explained,  gravely,  "  lies  in 
the  shadow  of  Parnassus." 

But  though  he  could  give  himself  up  to  this 
sort  of  thing  as  heartily  as  any  man  I  have  ever 

59 


Forward  House 


met,  I  soon  found  he  had  his  sterner  side  as 
well,  for  he  was  out  of  his  chair  before  the  last 
stroke  of  the  clock  for  eleven,  and  there  was  a 
smart  ring  of  decision  in  his  voice  when  he  told 
me  it  was  time  to  go. 

"  Are  you  armed  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  My  pistols  are  upstairs,"  I  answered,  and 
I  turned  to  go  for  them. 

"  No,"  he  said,  calling  me  back.  "  Leave 
them.  There  is  no  fool  like  a  badly  managed 
pistol." 

I  flushed  at  the  insinuation,  but  he  called  me 
down  with  a  look. 

"  Dear,  dear,"  said  he,  wearily,  "  what  a 
fellow  you  are  for  taking  offence.  I  didn't  mean 
anything.  Take  your  damned  pop-gun  if  you 
want  to,  but  if  there's  violence  ahead,  I  serve 
notice  on  you  now  that  I'm  well  out  of  it." 

After  that  speech  there  was  nothing  but  to 
leave  my  pistols  behind,  and  I  did  so.  We 
were  quickly  under  way  and  walking  briskly 
along  the  road  to  the  village.  Ten  minutes  of 
that  sharp  pace  brought  us  over  the  brow  of  the 
hill  and  to  the  gate  of  the  Colonel's  grounds, 
which  lay  just  beyond. 

Forward  House  stood  well  back  from  the 
road,  on  the  south  side,  and  the  grounds  were 
full  of  trees.  A  winding  drive  approached  the 
60 


We  Call  upon  Colonel  Forward 

house,  which  was  of  colonial  date  and  style, 
with  a  broad  veranda  across  the  front  and  east 
sides.  When  we  reached  the  gate,  Nicholson 
stopped  and  put  a  ringer  on  his  lips. 

"It's  as  well  to  be  cautious,"  said  he,  in  a 
whisper,  ' '  and  since  the  old  man  has  a  bad 
temper  and  no  wish  to  see  me  after  last  night, 
I'll  ask  you  to  go  alone." 

I  looked  at  him  in  some  surprise. 

"  Last  night?  I  don't  understand,"  said  I, 
slowly.  "You've  been  hereto-day,  and  he's 
agreed  to  see  you  if  I  come  with  you  ?  ' ' 

He  nodded  hurriedly  in  a  flustered  sort  of 
way,  and  would  not  look  me  in  the  face. 

"Well,  then,"  I  continued,  "I'm  not  pining 
for  an  interview,  Mister  Nicholson.  I've  come 
here  only  to  keep  you  in  countenance " 

"Tut,"  he  broke  in.  "You  want  the 
earth,  Mister  Hunt.  Is  there  but  one  way  to 
help  me,  and  that  by  skulking  at  the  rear? 
Would  you  show  the  white  feather  now  ?  Come, 
do  as  I  tell  you  and  we  shall  see  what  comes  of 
it." 

There  was  a  fine  evasiveness  about  this,  but 
the  man  had  read  me  like  a  book — and  his 
speech  lodged  where  he  meant  it  should. 

"I  beg  your  pardon,"  I  answered,  stiffen 
ing   under  his   sneer.      "I    have   promised  to 
61 


Forward  House 


stand  by  you,  and  I'm  not  given  to  drawing 
back." 

11  Good,"  said  he,  cheerfully.  "  But  you  are 
too  sensitive  by  half.  I  meant  no  slur  upon 
your  spirit ;  "  and  without  giving  me  a  chance 
for  further  remonstrance,  he  went  on  with  his 
instructions.  "  Go  on  to  the  front  door  and 
ask  for  Colonel  Forward.  If  he  will  not  see 
you,  raise  your  voice  and  I  will  join  you  if  we 
can  do  no  better.  But  tell  him  you  are  alone, 
for  if  he  should  see  me  in  his  doorway  or  hear 
my  voice,  I  have  every  reason  to  believe  that 
he  would  shoot  us  both.  Now  go  !  " 

And  he  fairly  pushed  me  up  the  walk.  But 
I  rebelled  again. 

"  You  have  brought  me  here  unarmed,"  said 
I,  holding  back,  "  and  here  you  are  talking  of 
shooting  as  though  it  were  a  part  of  your  pro 
gramme.  Now  I  draw  the  line " 

"  Let  me  save  you  the  trouble,"  said  he,  con 
temptuously,  "  I'll  draw  the  line  and  you  may 
run  back  home.  You're  no  use  to  either  me  or 
Molly.  Shooting  !  "  he  sniffed.  "  As  if  you 
couldn't  see  with  half  an  eye  that  I  was  joking. 
But  my  humor  is  always  taken  seriously." 

Three  minutes  later  I  would  have  given  con 
siderably  more  than  my  means  afforded,  had  I 
but  taken  him  at  his  word  and  run  home.  But 
62 


We  Call  upon  Colonel  Forward 

the  man's  ridicule  was  too  much  for  me,  and  I 
did  what  many  a  good  man  had  done  before 
me,  and  let  my  pride  make  a  fool  of  me.  I 
even  forgot  to  ask  what  I  was  to  say  to  Colonel 
Forward,  should  I  be  lucky  enough  to  get  audi 
ence  with  the  old  man,  and  turned  toward  the 
house  conscious  only  that  Nicholson's  eyes  were 
on  me.  No  light  was  visible  about  the  place, 
and  at  first  sight  it  might  have  been  tenantless 
for  any  sign  of  life  that  showed.  But  as  I 
looked  again  I  thought  there  was  method  in  the 
darkness,  for  the  windows  were  barred  and 
shuttered,  and  through  the  chinks  I  saw  a  faint 
light  from  within. 

My  observations  were  suddenly  suspended, 
however,  for  before  I  had  gone  a  dozen  paces  I 
heard  hurried  whisperings  from  the  darkness 
about  me,  and  as  I  reached  the  door  and 
stopped,  the  road  seemed  suddenly  alive  with 
men  who  closed  upon  me  from  all  sides  and 
fell  in  on  either  flank  in  the  shadows  at  my 
back. 

So  far  my  silly  pride  had  brought  me,  but  it 
left  me  at  the  door,  and  I  would  have  run  if  I 
could.  The  truth  which  had  half  flashed  upon 
me  at  Nicholson's  speech  when  we  entered  the 
grounds,  was  clear  as  day.  I  saw  myself  the 
man's  cat's-paw  and  started  from  the  door,  but 

63 


Forward  House 


twenty  guns  were  bristling  in  my  face,  and  the 
voice  of  Nicholson  came  to  me  out  of  the  night. 

"Steady,  Mister  Hunt,"  said  he,  quietly. 
"  No  turning  back  !  Go  on  and  follow  your 
instructions!  If  you  fail  me  now,  there'll  be 
shooting  on  this  side  the  door. ' ' 

And  somehow  his  cool  threat  steadied  my 
nerve,  and  I  turned  back  without  a  word  and 
pulled  the  bell. 

I  was  bewildered,  I  grant  you,  by  the  man's 
sudden  change  of  front,  but  I  had  sense  enough 
to  see  the  folly  of  resistance,  and  sense  enough 
besides,  even  in  that  moment,  to  curse  the  day 
I  had  opened  my  door  to  the  infernal  pirate 
who  had  got  the  best  of  me. 

After  an  agony  of  waiting  on  my  part,  some 
one  came  into  the  hall  from  the  far  end  of  the 
house,  and  shuffled  forward  bearing  a  light. 
The  steps  came  on  and  stopped  just  inside  the 
door. 

"  Who  is  there  ?  "  called  the  man  in  the  hall, 
and  I  recognized  the  gruff  tones  of  the  Colonel. 

' '  Is  that  Colonel  Forward  ?  "  I  shouted,  by 
way  of  reply. 

"  Who  is  there  ?  "  he  asked  again,  with  dis 
agreeable  emphasis,  and  paying  no  attention  to 
my  question. 

My  ancestors  were   Scotch    and  caution  is 

64 


We  Call  upon  Colonel  Forward 

written  between  the  lines  of  my  family  history. 
I  hesitated. 

"  Tell  him,"  whispered  Nicholson  from  be 
hind.  "  Tell  him,  you  damned  puppet !  "  and 
I  felt  something  pricking  my  leg. 

"John  Hunt,"  I  shouted,  hastily. 

"And  who  is  John  Hunt?"  the  Colonel 
asked,  in  the  same  level  voice. 

"A  friend  and  neighbor,"  said  I,  desperate 
ly.  "The  man  who  gave  you  your  lantern 
last  night,"  I  added,  with  a  touch  of  diplomacy. 

And  that  did  the  business,  for  the  old  man 
evidently  remembered  my  voice.  I  heard  him 
calling  softly  to  someone  inside,  and  more  foot 
falls  sounded  in  the  hall.  There  was  a  parley 
in  whispers  while  I  stood  there  in  torture  be 
tween  the  devil  and  the  deep  sea,  and  alas,  I 
did  not  know  on  which  side  of  the  door  the 
devil  was  !  And  then  presently  the  Colonel 
called  out,  "  Wait  a  minute,"  and  I  felt  rather 
than  heard  each  man  of  those  behind  me  draw 
a  long  breath. 

The  door  was  cautiously  unfastened,  and  I 
heard  the  bolts  rasp  as  they  were  shot  back, 
and  to  my  tense  nerves  there  seemed  a  hundred 
of  them  at  the  very  least.  Then  in  a  flash  the 
light  from  within  poured  into  my  eyes  and 
blinded  me,  and  the  next  minute  is  a  blank. 

65 


Forward  House 


The  door  had  scarce  swung  open  before  the 
hall  was  filled  with  men  cursing  and  struggling, 
and  above  all  I  heard  the  voices  of  Nicholson 
and  Colonel  Forward.  The  lamp  had  been 
struck  from  the  old  man's  hand  at  the  first 
rush,  and  we  were  squirming  and  jostling  in 
the  dark.  And  this,  I  am  sure,  saved  life,  for 
no  man  dared  fire  or  use  his  knife  lest  he  fall 
upon  a  friend. 


66 


VII 

A   FIGHT    IN    THE    DARK 

BEING  in  the  van  of  the  besiegers,  I  bore 
the  first  savage  brunt  of  the  attack,  and 
had  the  wind  well-nigh  knocked  out  of  me  be 
fore  I  fairly  knew  where  I  was.  I  heard  Nich 
olson's  curses  at  my  elbow,  and  then  I  got  a 
smart  blow  in  the  face  that  roused  the  fight  in 
me  and  drove  my  neutrality  into  retirement  for 
the  time. 

In  the  instant  that  the  light  remained  after 
the  door  opened,  I  had  seen  our  opponents,  and 
that  picture  of  them  remained  stamped  on  my 
mind  in  the  darkness.  The  fellow  just  facing 
me  had  attracted  my  attention  by  his  youth, 
his  great  size,  and  the  incompleteness  of  his 
dress,  for  though  apparently  ready  for  the 
fight,  he  had  on  only  his  shirt  and  trousers, 
and  as  I  was  shot  forward  against  him,  my 
shoe  fell  on  his  bare  instep.  This  accident 
served  me  a  good  turn,  for  we  had  been  strug 
gling  but  a  moment  when  someone  had  me  in 

67 


Forward  House 


a  powerful  grasp  and  I  felt  a  hand  stealing 
swiftly  over  the  breast  of  my  coat,  as  if  to  de 
termine  to  a  certainty  whether  I  were  friend  or 
foe,  and  there  was  decision  in  the  clutch  with 
which  it  sought  and  held  my  throat  a  moment 
after.  My  own  hands  went  out  instinctively, 
and  I  felt  the  flannel  shirt  of  the  man  who  had 
opposed  my  entrance.  His  other  hand  was  at 
his  belt,  and  as  I  reached  it,  it  closed  upon  the 
hilt  of  a  knife.  But  the  man's  grasp  at  my 
throat  never  relaxed,  and  I  held  his  other  wrist 
with  a  grip  of  despair. 

"Let  go,"  he  cried,  with  his  face  close  to 
mine,  "or  I'll  strangle  you  where  you  stand. 
You  should  have  kept  away  from  here  once  you 
got  away,  for  I  swear  you'll  not  have  the 
chance  this  time  unless  you  choose  to  give  up 
the  girl." 

And  then,  by  a  sudden  thought,  I  reached 
out  with  my  right  leg  and  began  digging  with 
my  heavy  shoe  where  I  hoped  his  feet  would 
be.  He  gripped  the  harder,  but  the  tactics  de 
moralized  him,  and  when  I  got  in  one  with  my 
sharp  heel  on  his  foot  he  howled  with  pain, 
and  so  I  kept  him  dancing  and  cursing  till,  in  a 
lull,  his  oaths  rang  out  so  loud  above  the  skir 
mish  that  one  of  the  sailor  men  behind  me 
shouted, 

68 


A  Fight  in  the  Dark 


"  Put  a  knife  into  that  yelping  cur  !  " 

And  they  took  up  the  rush  again  with  more 
energy  than  ever.  But  my  assailant  was  game, 
and  though  I  must  have  sadly  bruised  his  feet 
by  this  time,  he  put  his  face  close  to  mine  and 
said  : 

"You  may  dance  till  you  are  tired,  you 
damned  scoundrel,  but  I  know  you,  and  you'll 
not  get  away  from  me.  The  old  man  shall 
have  one  less  blight  upon  him  before  I'm  done 
with  you,  and  we'll  settle  that  little  affair  of 
our  own  at  the  same  time. ' ' 

He  had  given  up  trying  to  get  his  knife  out, 
and  spanned  my  neck  with  both  his  hands  as 
he  spoke,  and  he  would  have  made  short  work 
of  me  if  assistance  had  not  come  unexpectedly. 
He  had  hardly  finished  speaking  when  some 
one  forced  between  us,  and  the  man's  wrists 
were  wrenched  off  my  throat,  and  I  heard  the 
blow  that  sent  him  reeling  back  against  his 
next  companion. 

"  You've  made  a  slight  mistake,  my  dear 
Henry,"  I  heard  Nicholson  saying  in  an  un 
dertone.  "Pinch  my  neck,  if  you  like,  or  if 
you'll  wait  till  this  row  is  over,  we'll  have  our 
little  difference  out  like  men."  And  then  in 
a  louder  voice,  "  Is  that  you,  Mister  Hunt  ?  " 
he  added,  grasping  at  me.  "  On  my  honor 

69 


I'm  sorry  to  have  brought  you  into  such  a 
mess,  but  it  will  be  soon  over,  and  I  trust  you're 
none  the  worse  for  your  shaking  up. ' ' 

I  had  no  chance  to  answer  him,  for  he  gave 
a  sharp  call  of  command,  and  I  was  lifted  off 
my  feet  and  carried  bodily  down  the  hall  by 
the  quick  responsive  rally  of  his  men. 

I  saw  a  sliver  of  light  ahead  of  me,  and  heard 
the  tearing  of  woodwork,  then  the  door  at  the 
inner  end  of  the  hall  burst  open  with  a  crash 
and  the  light  streamed  out  upon  us.  There  was 
a  fresh  rally  at  this,  and  before  old  Forward's 
men  could  raise  and  use  their  guns,  the  sailors 
were  down  upon  them  and  the  battle  was  over. 

It  was  a  strange  spectacle  that  I  looked  upon. 
The  big  bare  hall  was  full  of  men  in  many 
stages  of  dishevelment,  and  save  for  the  sound 
of  their  heavy  breathing  after  their  exertions, 
the  place  was  suddenly  silent.  Crowded  into 
one  end  of  the  hall  and  against  the  broken  door 
that  had  shut  off  entrance  to  the  room  beyond, 
the  house  party  stood  at  bay.  There  were  five 
of  them  besides  the  Colonel  himself,  and  of 
these,  all  but  their  leader  and  the  big  fellow 
who  had  so  nearly  done  for  me  in  the  scrim 
mage  were  submissive  as  sheep  when  they  saw 
Nicholson  and  his  twenty  men,  armed  and 
blinking  in  the  light.  But  the  fight  was  not 
70 


A  Fight  in  the  Dark 


dead  in  those  two,  and  they  stood  glaring  like 
tigers,  though  they  saw  the  folly  of  resistance, 
and,  like  good  soldiers,  bided  their  time. 

Facing  them  stood  Nicholson  at  the  head  of 
his  crowd,  and  though  the  victory  was  his,  he 
had  nothing  to  say  for  himself.  It  seemed  to 
me  that  he  dodged  the  Colonel's  eye,  and  I 
thought  it  strange  after  all  that  had  passed  that 
night.  Indeed,  ridiculous  as  it  may  sound,  he 
seemed  at  a  loss  to  know  what  next  to  do. 

For  me,  I  cut  but  a  sorry  figure,  and  resented 
my  position.  I  held  aloof  from  them  all,  bit 
terly  reflecting  on  the  fool's  part  I  had  played. 
Yet  the  quick  succession  of  surprising  incidents 
had  somewhat  stupefied  me,  and  I  felt  rather 
like  wondering  what  would  come  next,  than  re 
viewing  the  experience  I  had  been  through. 

I  felt  myself  the  conspicuous  object  in  all 
that  room,  and  perhaps  it  struck  Nicholson  in 
the  same  way,  for  it  was  to  me  that  he  first  broke 
that  singular  silence. 

"  You  look  rumpled,  Mister  Hunt,"  said  he 
in  a  voice  that  sent  the  eyes  of  his  men  in  my 
direction ;  "I  swear  you  look  as  if  you'd  had 
the  six  upon  you  all  at  once.  Take  him  into 
the  library,"  he  added  to  one  of  his  men,  and 
with  a  manner  that  showed  his  familiarity  with 
the  house ;  "  and  keep  an  eye  on  him." 


Forward  House 


I  made  no  answer  but  followed  the  man's 
lead,  glad  to  be  away  from  that  crew  on  any 
terms,  and  we  had  scarcely  reached  the  library 
when  the  Colonel  found  his  tongue,  and  I  shud 
dered  at  the  result.  His  rhetoric  flowed  in 
forbidden  channels,  the  depth  of  which  I  had 
until  then  never  dreamed.  And  he  was  well 
seconded  by  another,  whose  voice  I  recognized 
as  that  of  the  man  who  had  done  his  best  to 
choke  me.  My  conductor  closed  the  door  upon 
it,  and  coolly  produced  a  cigar  which  he  lighted 
as  he  scrutinized  me.  But  neither  of  us  spoke 
and  the  tumult  outside  continued. 

Presently  there  was  silence  again  and  the 
door  opened.  Colonel  Forward  came  into  the 
room,  and  close  on  his  heels  came  Nicholson. 
On  the  threshold  the  younger  man  stopped  and 
called  back. 

"I'm  not  forgetting  you,  Henry,"  he  said, 
"and  I'll  wait  upon  you  shortly."  And  the 
bare-foot  man  shot  back  a  foul  defiance  which 
was  cut  short  off  by  Nicholson's  closing  the 
door. 

"You  may  go,"  said  he  to  the  man  who 
had  been  my  guard,  "  and  don't  return.  Stand 
outside  the  door  and  keep  everyone  away  from 
here,  and  when  Mister  Hunt  joins  you,  as  he 
will  presently,  keep  him  within  reach." 
72 


A  Fight  in  the  Dark 


The  man  left  the  room  with  a  knowing  look, 
the  door  closed  softly,  and  I  was  left  with  the 
two  men  whom  I  had  so  longed  to  see  together. 
Colonel  Forward  did  not  once  look  in  my  di 
rection,  and  I  stole  a  glance  at  Nicholson.  To 
my  great  surprise,  his  coolness  had  deserted 
him.  He  seemed  like  a  man  without  reliance, 
and  as  he  looked  at  the  Colonel,  who  stood  there 
in  dignified  silence,  his  eyes  sought  the  floor 
and  he  swallowed  nervously.  But  he  mastered 
himself  with  an  effort  and  turned  to  me. 

"  Mister  Hunt,"  says  he,  "I  wished  you  to 
remain  here  long  enough  to  quit  you  from 
blame  in  Colonel  Forward's  eyes.  You  were 
no  party  to  this  thing,  as  I  gladly  testify,  and 
what  you  have  done  you  were  deceived  into 
doing.  I  should  hate  to  have  you  suffer  for 
your  part  in  to-night's  work,  for  I  declare 
you  are  innocent  of  any  complicity  with  me. 
And  now,"  he  added,  turning  to  the  Colonel 
with  more  boldness,  "  I  will  talk  with  you 
alone. ' ' 

Up  to  that  time  old  Forward  had  not  spoken, 
but  if  his  spirit  had  been  subdued  before,  it 
blazed  hot  at  this,  and  I  could  but  admire  his 
retort,  though  I  confess  it  puzzled  me. 

"  Will  you,  indeed  !  "  said  he,  and  mad  as 
he  was,  he  was  the  cooler  man  of  the  two. 

73 


Forward  House 


"  Now,  I  have  my  own  views  on  that  point,  and 
I'm  damned  if  you  will  !  Whatever  rights  you 
have  as  my  son  you  have  forfeited  a  thousand 
times  over,  and  I  have  no  dealing  with  a  liar 
and  a  thief." 

Nicholson  turned  purple,  but  he  did  not  re 
sent  the  charge. 

"Will  you  talk  of  all  that  before  this  man, 
then  ?  "  he  asked,  nervously,  jerking  his  head 
toward  me,  for  I  still  stood  there,  not  knowing 
where  to  turn. 

"Why  not?"  said  the  Colonel,  letting  his 
eyes  rest  upon  me.  "  I  have  met  Mister  Hunt 
once  before,  and  you  yourself  tell  me  that  you 
have  duped  him  to-night.  He  will  be  the  read 
ier  for  that  to  believe  what  I  say.  I  see  your 
dilemma,"  he  went  on,  with  composure,  "and 
you  have  reckoned  on  my  pride  to  keep  me 
from  disclosing  our  relationship  before  him. 
Well,  I  have  no  pride  left,  and  you  see  your 
mistake ;  and  now  I  say  again  in  this  man's 
presence,  you  are  my  own  son,  but,  God  for 
give  me,  you  are  as  black  a  scoundrel  as  ever 
walked!" 

"And  there,"  says  Nicholson,  quite  cool 
again,  "  I'll  not  contradict  you.  I  have  no 
time  to  pick  phrases  or  make  you  pick  yours. 
Why  should  we  quibble  about  it  ?  If  my 

74 


A  Fight  in  the  Dark 


offence  outrages  you,  yours  that  forced  me  to 
this  course  is  no  less  repulsive  in  my  eyes. 
You  know  my  desperate  straits  and  my  last  re 
source.  You  know  I  see  death  and  dishonor 
on  every  hand.  Yet  here  you  stand,  full  of 
years  and  honor,  and  with  that  at  your  hand 
which  will  put  me  on  my  feet  again  and  take 
the  halter  from  my  neck — and  you  refuse  me. ' ' 

The  old  man  lifted  his  hand. 

"You  may  sneer,"  Nicholson  went  on 
quickly,  "but  I  swear  I  am  unselfish  in  what  I 
do.  For  myself,  it  matters  little  when  or  how 
I  go,  and  it's  no  great  hardship  to  skulk  about 
with  a  price  on  my  head.  But  Molly  has 
changed  all  that,  and  life  is  dear  to  me  be 
cause  of  her ' ' 

' '  You  dare  to  speak  to  me  of  her  !  ' '  the 
Colonel  broke  in,  furiously.  "You,  a  robber 
and  a  liar,  and  that  girl ' ' 

Nicholson's  eyes  looked  murder,  and  he 
started  forward  with  a  quick  gesture  of  remon 
strance. 

"Be  careful,"  said  he,  "and  remember 
that  this  is  a  family  matter.  There's  no  room 
for  a  stranger  in  it,  and  I'll  take  Mister  Hunt 
outside.  I'm  thinking  he's  heard  too  much  as 
it  is." 

"  No,"  said  the  Colonel,  peremptorily,  "he 

75 


Forward  House 


shall  not  go.  He  has  served  your  purpose,  and 
now  let  him  undo  that  mischief  by  serving 
mine.  I  want  you  now,  Mister  Hunt,"  he 
added  to  me,  and  like  a  flash  of  lightning  and 
with  an  adroit  movement  that  would  have  done 
credit  to  a  man  of  half  his  years,  he  sprang  upon 
Nicholson  and  pinned  him  against  the  wall. 

No  one  could  have  foreseen  so  sudden  an  at 
tack,  and  the  sailor  man  was  quite  unpre 
pared  for  it.  And  though  he  made  some  out 
cry  and  there  was  a  noisy  scuffle  for  an  in 
stant,  the  tramping  and  talking  of  the  men 
around  the  house  drowned  it  all.  The  library 
was  a  large  room  with  windows  running  to  the 
floor  and  giving  on  the  west.  These  were 
open  as  befitted  the  season,  but  heavy  shutters 
of  solid  wood  took  the  place  of  outside  blinds, 
and  they  were  closed.  Before  I  really  knew 
what  was  going  on,  the  Colonel  had  Nicholson 
by  the  throat  with  one  hand,  and  had  jammed 
him  hard  against  the  shutter  of  the  nearest 
window,  while  with  the  other  hand  he  drew 
the  bolt  that  held  the  shutter  closed.  In  an 
other  instant  the  two  had  fallen  through  five 
feet  of  darkness  on  the  turf  below.  I  followed 
cautiously  and  found  the  old  man  bending 
over  the  other,  who  lay  unconscious  and  breath 
ing  heavily. 

76 


A  Fight  in  the  Dark 


The  Colonel  groaned. 

"  Are  you  hurt  ?  "  I  whispered. 

"Hurt,"  he  said  fiercely,  springing  to  his 
feet ;  "  no,  but  he  is." 

Nicholson  moved  and  half  opened  his  eyes, 
and  I  brought  my  rude  knowledge  of  surgery 
and  medicine  to  account,  and  made  such  ex 
amination  as  I  was  able. 

"He'll  be  all  right  in  a  jiffy,"  said  I. 
11  He's  only  stunned." 

"  Then  there's  no  time  to  lose,"  the  Colonel 
said,  with  a  note  of  satisfaction  in  his  voice. 
"  We  must  get  away  before  they  miss  us." 

He  seemed  to  take  for  granted  that  I  would 
go  with  him  rather  than  stay  with  the  other, 
and  for  that  slight  mark  of  confidence  I  regis 
tered  my  thanks,  and  followed  the  old  man 
swiftly  across  the  lawn. 

Our  course  led  toward  the  thick  woods  that 
lay  some  distance  away  and  behind  the  house, 
and  was  over  a  long  stretch  of  open  and  irregu 
lar  ground.  His  knowledge  of  the  place  helped 
him,  of  course,  yet  taking  his  age  into  account, 
the  rapidity  with  which  he  got  over  the  ground 
was  amazing.  I  followed  him  as  well  as  I 
might,  and  as  often  as  I  lost  him,  I  called 
softly  and  he  waited  for  me  to  come  up  with 
him. 

77 


Forward  House 


We  ran  a  half  mile  in  this  way,  along  the 
ridge  of  the  hill,  and  away  from  the  road, 
when  the  woods  suddenly  loomed  up  ahead  like 
a  blotch  of  ink  on  a  dark  carpet.  Then  the 
Colonel  slackened  his  pace  a  bit,  and  we  went 
on  easily.  When  we  had  reached  cover  he 
wound  in  and  out  among  the  trees,  in  a  sort  of 
pattern,  and  with  a  dexterity  that  showed 
method,  so  that  I  was  not  surprised  when  he 
suddenly  stopped  in  a  dense  piece  of  under 
brush,  and  went  plump  on  his  knees  and  began 
pawing  like  a  dog  in  the  dead  leaves. 


VIII 

I   PASS   A    NIGHT    IN    THE   WOODS 

UP  to  this  time  no  word  had  passed  be 
tween  us  since  we  left  Nicholson,  and  I 
watched  the  Colonel  in  silence  as  he  dug  there 
in  the  feeble  light  of  the  setting  moon.  Sud 
denly  he  stopped  his  work  and  turned  to  me. 

"  I  am  making  so  much  noise,"  said  he, 
"  that  they  might  come  upon  us  and  we  never 
know  it.  Run  out  to  the  edge  of  the  woods 
and  stand  guard.  If  you  hear  anyone  coming, 
give  an  alarm — otherwise  wait  there  till  I  call 
you  back." 

"  See  here,"  I  answered,  "  I've  had  enough. 
Why  in  God's  name  should  I  be  prowling 
about  the  country  with  either  of  you  on  a  mis 
sion  I  know  nothing  of  ?  " 

"  My  dear  sir,"  he  said,  with  irritating  po 
liteness,  "  you  really  ask  me  too  much.  I 
know  neither  why  you  should  take  nor  why 
you  have  taken,  such  an  offensive  interest  in 
my  affairs,  but  I  accept  the  fact  as  it  is,  and 

79 


Forward  House 


I'm  planning  for  your  good  quite  as  much  as 
for  my  own." 

"Then  you  may  save  yourself  trouble,"  I 
replied.  "If  you  want  help  from  the  village 
to  beat  those  ruffians  off  and  save  your  house, 
I'll  go  that  far  for  you,  but  I'll  not  stay  skulk 
ing  here  in  the  woods.  Rather  than  that,  I'm 
going  home." 

"You  may  go  to  the  devil  for  anything  I 
care,"  said  he,  coolly,  "  but  it  shall  not  lie  on 
my  conscience  if  your  throat  is  cut  before 
morning.  I  give  you  fair  warning.  These 
fellows  think  you  have  helped  me  to  get  away, 
and  your  belly  will  never  hear  from  your  palate 
again  once  they  clap  eyes  on  you  to-night. 
As  for  the  village,  there's  not  a  man  there 
who'd  lift  a  finger  to  save  me  from  the  cruel- 
est  death  in  the  list,  and  if  you  go  there  with 
an  appeal  from  me,  they'll  kick  you  out  of 
doors,  if  they  do  no  worse  by  you.  You'd 
much  better  take  pot-luck  here. ' ' 

Little  as  I  knew  of  him,  I  knew  there  was 
truth  in  what  he  said,  and  I  realized  too  that 
I  must  have  aroused  the  wrath  of  Nicholson  by 
my  desertion  of  him.  I  had  no  hankering  for 
an  early  meeting  with  any  of  that  band,  and  I 
turned  away  and  started  through  the  brush. 

"  Well  ?  "  asked  the  Colonel. 
80 


/  Pass  a  Night  in  the  Woods 

"You  may  call  if  you  want  me,"  I  an 
swered.  "  I  shall  stay  for  the  present." 

"  That's  wise,"  said  he,  and  began  scratch 
ing  in  the  leaves  again. 

But  however  plausible  his  reason  for  sending 
me  away  may  seem,  I  knew  it  was  a  mere  ruse 
of  his  to  be  rid  of  me  for  a  time,  and  I  kept 
asking  myself  as  I  went  what  lay  buried  there 
that  I  might  not  see.  And  though  I  had  to 
fight  my  cursed  curiosity,  I  went  straight  to 
the  place  of  look-out  without  so  much  as  once 
turning  around.  I  could  see  lights  twinkling 
at  the  house  across  the  fields,  and  I  fancied  I 
heard  the  sound  of  voices  in  that  direction.  I 
made  no  question  that  our  escape  had  been  dis 
covered,  but  though  I  waited  at  least  fifteen 
minutes  awake  to  every  sound,  I  neither  saw 
nor  heard  anything  to  indicate  that  we  were 
followed.  On  the  contrary,  my  first  alarm 
came  from  behind  me,  where  I  heard  the  Col 
onel  shouting  my  name  with  great  oaths,  and 
begging  me  for  the  sake  of  his  Creator  to  come 
to  him  at  once.  I  hurried  back  and  found  him 
grovelling  on  his  stomach  beside  a  shallow  hole 
which  he  had  scooped  in  the  dirt. 

"  What  is  it?  "  I  asked,  breathlessly,  bend 
ing  over  him.  "Are  you  sick,  man?  What 
is  wrong  ?  ' ' 

81 


Forward  House 


"  Can't  you  see  what's  wrong?  "  he  wailed, 
clawing  his  long  fingers  into  the  dirt  with  fury. 
"  It's  gone,  it's  gone  !  " 

"  What  is  gone  ?  "  I  asked,  but  he  was  mut 
tering  to  himself  and  digging  deeper  into  the 
ground  with  fresh  zeal.  After  a  moment  he 
stopped  again,  and  raising  himself  on  his  el 
bow,  looked  up  into  my  face — and  his  own 
made  a  light  in  the  dark,  so  white  and  haggard 
was  it. 

"  Mister  Hunt,"  said  he,  "  I  must  go  back 
to  Forward  House." 

"  What !  "  said  I,  aghast,  "  back  into  that 
gang  of  cut-throats  !  ' ' 

"  This  instant,"  said  he,  firmly.  "  Give  me 
your  hand." 

I  pulled  him  to  his  feet,  and  he  stood  a  mo 
ment  unsteadily. 

"  I  won't  ask  you  to  risk  your  skin  there," 
said  he,  "  though  you  may  give  me  a  lift  for  a 
bit  of  the  way  if  you'll  be  so  good." 

But  I  was  spared  expostulation,  for  nature 
interfered.  He  staggered  as  he  spoke,  and 
clapped  a  hand  to  each  temple. 

"  Oh,  oh,  oh  !  "  he  moaned,  and  toppled  over 

like  a  falling  tree,  into  the  hole  he  had  made. 

I  kneeled  beside  him  and  lifted  his  head  to  my 

knee.     Then  I  loosened  his  collar  and  chafed 

82 


/  Pass  a  Night  in  the  Woods 

his  hands,  and  after  a  little  he  opened  his  eyes. 
But  he  only  partially  revived,  and  when  I  spoke 
to  him  he  trembled  as  though  he  were  afraid 
of  me. 

"  Pull  yourself  together,  man,"  I  cried. 

"No,  no,"  he  whined,  "don't  hurt  me, 
don't  hurt  me  !  It  is  gone,  gone,  gone  !  " 

And  though  I  coaxed  and  threatened  him 
by  turn,  I  could  get  no  more  out  of  him  than 
that,  nor  would  he  stir  from  his  spot  in  the 
woods.  I  could  not  have  moved  him  against 
his  will,  and  there  was  nothing  to  do  but  lay 
him  down  and  wait.  I  was  sore  tired,  but  I 
could  not  leave  him  so,  and  I  did  not  dare  to 
sleep,  so  I  sat  there  and  watched  by  his  side 
the  rest  of  the  night.  He  cooled  down  as  the 
hours  passed,  and  finally  slept,  and  at  daylight 
I  left  him  and  went  again  to  the  open  ground. 

Smoke  was  curling  from  the  chimneys  of 
Forward  House,  and  that  was  the  only  indica 
tion  of  life  that  my  eyes  first  fell  upon  ;  yet  as  I 
looked,  doubtful  whether  to  venture  farther,  I 
saw  movement  in  the  trees  upon  the  Colonel's 
lawn  and  a  moment  later,  two  men  emerged 
from  the  shadows  and  came  with  swinging  gait 
across  the  fields  toward  me.  I  drew  quickly 
back  into  the  brush  that  skirted  the  woods  at 
this  point,  and  when  I  looked  again,  two  more 

83 


Forward  House 


men  had  come  into  view  and  the  four  were 
headed  for  the  woods.  The  leaders  were  well 
in  advance,  and  whatever  hope  I  had  enter 
tained  of  the  departure  of  the  ship's  crew,  was 
dissipated  when  I  recognized  Nicholson  and 
one  of  his  men.  I  should  have  thought  this 
meant  business  for  Colonel  Forward  and  me, 
if  I  had  not  known  the  second  pair  for  the  big 
fellow  who  had  engaged  me  in  the  hall,  and 
another  man  of  the  Colonel's  own  household. 
Then  I  recalled  the  collision  between  Nichol 
son  and  the  bare-foot  man,  and  the  former's 
promise  that  their  difference  should  be  adjusted 
after  the  manner  of  gentlemen  ;  and  I  was  not 
surprised  that  each  of  the  principals  carried  a 
light,  thin  fencing  sword.  I  saw  what  was  on 
the  cards  and  lay  very  still,  while  they  came 
on  with  business-like  haste,  the  two  in  advance 
keeping  well  ahead  of  the  others  and  holding 
no  communication  with  them. 

Just  in  front  of  the  woods,  and  between  me 
and  the  approaching  party,  was  a  depression  of 
the  earth  that  formed  a  sort  of  natural  amphi 
theatre.  The  ground  sloped  on  all  sides  to  a 
flat  spot  at  the  centre,  perhaps  twenty  feet 
square,  and  far  enough  below  the  level  of  the 
surrounding  ground  to  make  a  man  standing 
there  invisible  from  Forward  House  and  the 
84 


/  Pass  a  Night  in  the  Woods 

distant  highway.  The  bushes  behind  which  I 
lay  concealed  were  not  a  hundred  feet  from  this 
point,  and  at  the  very  edge  of  the  southern 
slope. 

Nicholson  and  his  companion  came  on  with 
out  a  word,  straight  down  the  slope  to  the 
grass  plot  at  the  bottom.  There  they  stopped, 
and  the  leader  stripped  off  his  coat  and  waist 
coat,  and  turned  his  shirt-sleeves  back  above  his 
elbows.  He  carefully  examined  his  sword,  and 
tried  the  temper  of  the  blade. 

"  Allison,"  he  said  slowly  to  his  companion, 
' '  as  long  as  I  can  remember,  that  sword  and 
the  one  that  Harry  has,  have  hung  together  in 
my  father's  library.  Harry  and  I  have  played 
soldier  with  them  many  a  time,  and  when  he 
got  bigger,  I  taught  him  how  to  fence.  I 
swear,"  he  added,  laughing  softly,  "  I  never 
thought  they  would  serve  us  in  such  a  pass  as 
this!  " 

He  stopped  speaking  as  the  second  pair  ap 
proached,  and  my  quondam  assailant  stripped 
himself  as  Nicholson  had  done,  their  two  friends 
standing  idly  by  in  apparent  unconcern.  I 
watched  them  breathlessly,  all  fear  for  my  per 
sonal  safety  having  vanished  when  I  knew  their 
errand. 

They  wasted  no  time,  and  were  quickly  fac- 

85 


Forward  House 


ing  each  other,  their  swords  drawn  and  their 
brows  contracted.  They  were  well  matched 
in  size,  and  I  was  struck  by  their  strong  like 
ness  to  each  other  in  face  and  feature  ;  but  Nich 
olson  looked  the  elder  by  a  good  ten  years. 
The  man  from  Forward  House  took  his  position 
and  lunged  viciously  out  with  his  weapon. 

"  Stop  !  "  shouted  Nicholson,  easily  parry 
ing  the  thrust,  and  each  drew  back.  "  Harry," 
he  continued,  in  a  voice  that  was  new  to  me, 
"  think  what  you  are  inviting  and  what  this 
means.  We  are  sons  of  one  father,  and  as  you 
yourself  say,  this  thing  is  murder  for  one  of  us. 
Bad  as  I  know  myself  to  be,  I  stop  far  short  of 
wishing  that.  You  say  I  have  wronged  you, 
and  perhaps  I  have — but  not  as  you  think.  I 
am  a  rebel  against  my  father,  and  your  lot  lies 
with  him.  So  far  I  am  your  enemy.  But  as  to 
Molly — I  love  her  and  she  loves  me,  and  there's 
an  end  of  it.  If  it  were  otherwise,  I  would  say 
no  word,  but  she  has  chosen.  Why  can't  you 
take  it  like  a  man  ?  Do  you  suppose  I  will 
give  her  up  because  a  man  she  detests  wants 
me  to " 

"You  damned  hypocrite,"  the  other  cried, 
with  sudden  rage,  "  shut  up  your  cant  and  come 
on  !  If  you're  the  better  man,  you  have  only 
to  prove  it." 

86 


/  Pass  a  Night  in  the  Woods 

"As  you  please,"  said  Nicholson,  with  a  flash 
of  his  ugly  eyes.  "  Come  on,  you  puppy  !  If 
you  want  it  so  much,  by  God,  you  shall  have 
it!" 

They  were  good  swordsmen,  both  of  them, 
and  it  was  no  stage  play.  But  I  noticed  that 
Nicholson  stayed  more  on  the  defensive,  and 
spent  his  time  parrying  the  wicked  lunges  of 
his  adversary,  who  plainly  fought  for  blood. 
They  were  breathing  heavily  after  two  minutes 
of  such  hot  work.  Again  and  again  Harry 
drove  his  blade  like  lightning  at  the  other's 
breast,  and  each  time  it  shot  aside  on  Nichol 
son's  superb  guard.  But  I  saw  a  change  come 
over  Nicholson's  face,  and  his  lips  tightened. 
His  features  hardened  and  a  bad  look  lay  in  his 
eyes.  Finally,  as  the  other  pressed  him  more 
fiercely,  he  caught  the  blade  on  his  own,  and 
with  a  supple  motion  of  his  wrist  sent  it  twist 
ing  from  Harry's  hand.  And  as  Harry  stood 
disarmed  and  at  his  mercy,  Nicholson  burst  out 
again. 

"  Don't  tempt  me  further,"  he  cried.  "  Stop 
while  you  can,  and  before  it  is  too  late  for 
either  of  us." 

But  Harry  had  regained  his  sword. 

"You  should  have  used  that  opportunity," 
he  panted.  "  It  was  a  coward's  chance.  Come 

87 


on  !  "  And  he  fell  to  again  more  fiercely  than 
ever. 

"  Then  take  it,  you  fool,"  Nicholson  cried, 
and  changed  his  tactics. 

He  lunged  forward,  and  Harry  caught  it  on 
his  blade  and  smiled.  His  coolness  had  come 
with  his  second  wind,  and  Nicholson  was  just 
getting  mad.  Nicholson  swore,  and  his  arm 
shot  out  again,  but  Harry  parried  neatly  and 
returned  the  thrust  so  cleverly  as  to  scratch  his 
antagonist's  cheek,  and  the  hot  blood,  eager  for 
an  outlet,  ran  down  and  spattered  in  big  drops 
on  his  shirt.  And  that  maddened  Nicholson, 
and  he  did  what  no  man  should  dare  do  unless 
he  knows  the  limitations  of  the  other's  eye  and 
arm,  or  longs  for  sudden  death  :  he  tried  that 
wicked  outside  thrust  that  curves  toward  the 
heart,  and  for  the  flash  of  an  eye,  as  his  arm 
went  out,  his  great  heaving  chest  lay  open. 
Quick  as  a  cat  the  other  was  in  upon  him,  and 
the  blade  shot  into  Nicholson's  breast  like  a 
needle  into  silk,  and  when  it  came  out  the  blood 
followed  in  a  stream. 

It  was  no  scratch,  but  the  man  was  not  done 
for.  He  shivered  and  parried  the  next  thrust 
that  his  antagonist  was  following  it  up  with. 
But  his  judgment  was  gone,  for  again  his  arm 
went  out  for  that  outside  thrust,  and  I  groaned 
88 


/  Pass  a  Nigbt  in  the  Woods 

for  him,  for  again  the  lightning  of  the  other's 
eye  and  arm  drove  the  blade  home  before 
Nicholson's  had  fairly  started  on  its  journey. 

"Damn  you,"  gasped  the  wounded  man. 
"  You're  an  apt  pupil,  Harry.  And  to  think 
I  spent  days  myself  teaching  you  that  trick  !  " 

He  reeled  and  lunged  forward  again,  but  his 
blade  glanced  weakly  aside  on  Harry's  waiting 
guard  and  he  fell  on  his  face  in  the  grass. 

The  seconds,  friend  and  foe,  were  over  him 
in  an  instant,  but  his  adversary  stood  aside  and 
looked  on  with  apparent  indifference.  They 
turned  the  fallen  man  over  on  his  back,  and 
Allison  ripped  his  shirt  open  and  bound  his 
wounds  with  a  hand  that  showed  skill  and 
practice.  Then  he  turned  savagely  on  young 
Forward. 

"  We  will  get  him  back  to  the  house — your 
man  here  and  I — according  to  our  arrange 
ment,"  said  he.  "  I  don't  know  how  badly 
off  he  is,  and  perhaps  I  can  fetch  him  around. 
As  for  you,  you  know  the  agreement,  and  I 
trust  you  to  go  and  hold  your  tongue.  You're 
under  truce  now,  but  God  help  you  if  you  ever 
fall  in  my  way  again,  and  damn  you  whether 
or  no  for  what  you've  done  this  morning." 

Without  waiting  for  a  reply,  he  turned  to 
the  third  man,  and  together  they  lifted  Nichol- 


Forward  House 


son  tenderly  from  the  ground  and  started  slowly 
back  to  the  house.  And  Harry  Forward  said 
not  a  word,  but  stood  and  watched  them  as 
they  ascended  the  slope ;  then  he  followed 
slowly  in  their  train.  He  still  carried  the 
sword  he  had  used  so  effectively,  but  his  grasp 
upon  the  hilt  seemed  mechanical,  and  I  doubt 
if  he  knew  the  thing  was  in  his  hand.  His 
eyes  were  fixed  on  the  little  party  ahead,  and 
in  this  way  he  wandered  on  behind  for  a  hun 
dred  yards  or  more.  Then,  with  a  sudden 
start,  he  looked  down  at  the  dripping  steel  he 
carried.  He  stopped  and  held  it  out  at  arm's 
length,  and  stared  at  it  as  though  he  had  but 
just  realized  what  it  was.  The  next  instant 
he  had  sent  it  spinning  through  the  air,  and 
abruptly  changing  his  course,  he  strode  quickly 
off  to  the  west  and  disappeared  in  the  woods 
behind  his  father's  house. 


90 


IX 

THE    VILLAINS    DESTROY   MY   HOUSE 

WITH  a  guilty  sense  of  my  neglect,  I  re 
called  the  old  man  and  hurried  back 
to  him.  He  was  still  sleeping,  and  as  I  watched 
his  peaceful  face  I  was  glad  he  had  been  spared 
the  knowledge  of  what  I  had  just  seen.  As  for 
me,  I  had  been  so  long  unused  to  such  things 
that  I  was  sick  and  faint  with  the  horror  of 
Harry  Forward's  bloody  act.  And  my  feeling 
was  the  more  intense  when  I  reflected  how 
averse  Nicholson  had  been  to  meet  him.  Clear 
ly,  to  his  brother's  magnanimity  Harry  owed 
his  life,  for  until  Nicholson  had  lost  grasp  of 
his  temper  he  had  had  the  best  of  it,  and  there 
was  no  time  during  the  first  few  minutes  and 
until  he  disarmed  his  adversary,  when  he  could 
not  have  forced  the  other's  guard  and  ended 
the  matter.  I  hated  Harry,  little  as  I  knew 
him,  and  as  for  Nicholson,  I  found  myself 
warming  to  him  again.  Liar  and  plotter 
though  I  knew  him  to  be,  I  thought  with  real 

9' 


Forward  House 


grief  on  his  downfall,  and  prayed  he  might  be 
farther  from  his  end  than  he  had  seemed.  In 
deed,  I  may  as  well  say  it  here,  there  was  a 
charm  about  the  man  that  I  have  never  been 
able  to  fully  understand,  and  to  this  day  I 
think  of  his  case  with  pity  and  regret  rather 
than  with  anger. 

The  chance  remarks  of  the  Colonel  had  con 
vinced  me  that  there  was  in  his  heart,  too,  a 
tender  spot  for  the  rebellious  son,  and  I  con 
cluded  that  for  the  present  I  would  say  noth 
ing  about  the  scene  I  had  just  witnessed,  but 
keep  that  bitterness  from  the  old  man's  cup  so 
long  as  I  could. 

He  slept  soundly,  and  I  left  him  there  and 
made  my  way  back  out  of  the  woods  to  await 
developments  from  Forward  House.  And  this 
time  I  sought  a  place  which  should  command 
a  more  extensive  view. 

The  point  where  I  came  out  into  the  open 
was  just  at  the  crest  of  the  hill  and  farther  east 
than  my  old  look-out,  and  it  overlooked  both 
Forward  House  and  the  road  that  passed  my 
own  dwelling.  Beyond,  I  saw  the  dark  waters 
of  the  open  sea  wrinkling  in  the  morning 
breeze.  There  I  stood  and  waited,  and  the 
first  streak  of  sunlight  fell  upon  a  band  of  men 
stringing  down  the  road  to  the  sea.  In  their 
92 


The  Villains  Destroy  My  House 


midst  walked  two  with  a  litter,  and  I  wondered 
whether  Nicholson  were  dead  or  alive.  The 
band  moved  swiftly ;  my  spirits  rose  at  the 
riddance,  and  I  breathed  more  freely  when  I 
saw  their  haste. 

But  such  consolation  as  I  got  from  this  was 
short-lived,  for  as  they  approached  my  house, 
I  saw  part  of  them  strike  off  the  road  into  the 
bushes,  and  the  rest  kept  straight  on  and  halted 
in  a  line  at  the  front — all  but  the  bearers  of 
the  litter,  who  kept  on  with  their  burden  toward 
the  Crag. 

I  knew  that  the  men  who  had  disappeared 
were  reconnoitring  for  no  good  purpose,  and 
I  waited  with  a  growing  anxiety.  I  thought 
of  the  old  man's  warning  and  congratulated 
myself  that  I  had  heeded  it — yet  in  the  same 
breath  I  was  wishing  that  Nicholson  were  him 
self  there  as  leader,  for  I  fancied  he  would  have 
allowed  no  harm  to  come  to  me.  There  had 
been  no  noise,  but  after  a  few  minutes  of  sus 
pense  I  heard  shouts,  and  at  the  same  time  the 
sailors  in  the  road  began  running  one  by  one 
into  my  grounds.  I  watched  them  until  only 
three  were  left  in  the  road,  and  then  I  saw  what 
stopped  my  heart  for  a  moment — a  line  of 
smoke  curling  up  through  the  trees.  The  vil 
lains  had  fired  my  house  ! 

93 


Forward  House 


Of  what  I  did  and  said  when  the  truth  came 
to  me,  I  have  the  most  imperfect  remembrance. 
I  raved  and  swore  and  shook  my  fist  impotent- 
ly  at  my  enemies.  Dead  or  dying  though  he 
was,  I  called  down  all  the  curses  of  heaven 
upon  the  man  I  had  taken  in  from  the  storm, 
and  whose  lawless  crew  was  repaying  me  by 
burning  the  roof  that  had  sheltered  him.  In 
deed,  for  one  fleeting  moment  there  was  mur 
der  in  my  heart  when  I  thought  of  the  old  man 
behind  me  in  the  woods,  through  whom  I  had 
been  brought  to  this  pass.  But  I  thank  God 
that,  even  in  my  blind  rage,  I  had  enough  of 
my  reason  left  to  be  ashamed  of  this  feeling  as 
soon  as  I  realized  it. 

It  seemed  to  me  that  I  stood  there  many 
minutes,  though  in  reality  I  suppose  the  inter 
val  was  measured  by  seconds,  when  something 
happened  which  overcame  my  rage,  and  left 
me  staring  in  fright,  horror,  and  amazement. 
I  felt  the  earth  quiver  under  my  feet,  I  saw  the 
air  filled  with  fragments  of  wood  and  stone, 
and  a  sheet  of  red  flame  in  the  midst  of  it,  and 
then  came  the  sound  of  an  explosion  more  ter 
rible  than  any  I  had  ever  heard.  Close  upon 
its  echoes  followed  the  shrieks  of  wounded  men, 
and  out  of  the  cloud  of  smoke  and  dust  that 
settled  where  my  house  had  stood,  I  saw  three 

94 


The  Villains  Destroy  My  House 

sailors  running  like  frightened  sheep  down  the 
road  to  the  sea. 

My  first  impulse  was  to  hurry  to  the  spot, 
but  I  checked  myself  and  went  back  to  Colonel 
Forward  ;  my  first  duty  was  to  him.  To  my 
great  surprise  he  was  still  sleeping  soundly. 
His  exhaustion  had  been  too  great  to  be  stirred 
by  what  I  thought  must  have  shaken  the  world 
itself.  I  did  not  disturb  him,  but  left  him 
there  and  hurried  across  the  fields  to  his 
house. 

The  place  was  deserted,  to  all  appearances, 
though  smoke  still  issued  from  the  chimneys. 
I  entered  by  a  side  door  that  stood  ajar,  and 
once  inside,  the  mark  of  the  vandal  was  every 
where  evident.  Fires  were  smouldering  on  the 
hearths,  and  I  saw  they  had  been  used  to  pre 
pare  food.  Every  bit  of  furniture  capable  of 
concealing  a  drawer,  had  been  ransacked — the 
carpets  and  rugs  had  been  started  at  the  edges — 
pictures  had  been  turned  to  the  wall,  and  the 
paper  backings  of  their  frames  ripped  open — 
the  upholstering  of  the  chairs  had  been  started, 
and  everywhere  the  work  showed  a  most  thor 
ough  search  for  something,  whether  successful 
or  not  I  could  not  tell.  But  it  was  not  the 
work  of  ordinary  robbers,  for  the  heavy  plate 
on  the  side-board  in  the  dining-room  was  still 


Forward  House 


there,  though  disarranged,  and  elsewhere  in 
the  house  articles  of  intrinsic  value,  which  must 
have  appealed  to  the  greed  of  a  mere  thief, 
were  undisturbed. 

I  went  quickly  from  room  to  room,  and 
everywhere  lay  the  same  traces  of  confusion. 
But  my  discoveries  terminated  in  the  library, 
where  every  book  had  been  taken  from  its 
shelf  and  the  most  painstaking  search  had 
clearly  been  made.  The  desk  had  been  forced, 
and  its  papers  lay  in  a  confused  heap  on  the 
floor.  And  while  I  looked  on  in  amazement, 
forgetting  for  a  moment  the  errand  that  had 
brought  me  there,  I  heard  a  moan  from  a  little 
room  that  opened  from  the  library  and  that  I 
had  not  yet  visited. 

I  hurried  in,  and  there,  in  a  row  on  the  floor, 
lay  four  men  bound  and  gagged.  They  were 
of  the  Colonel's  party,  of  course,  and  the  tally 
was  complete  save  for  their  leader  and  Harry 
Forward.  My  eyes  sought  out  the  young  man's 
second  in  that  morning  fight,  and  him  I  loosed. 
Without  a  word  he  set  to  work  and  helped  me 
with  the  rest.  They  seemed  none  the  worse 
for  their  experience,  but  each  had  heard  the 
terrific  explosion  and  plied  me  with  questions 
as  to  its  meaning.  I  sent  the  three  off  down 
the  road  to  investigate,  and  kept  the  first  man 
96 


The  Villains  Destroy  My  House 

by  me.  When  we  were  by  ourselves,  he  turned 
upon  me  suspiciously. 

"Before  we  go  any  further,"  said  he,  "I 
want  to  know  what  I'm  dealing  with.  I  saw 
you  here  last  night,  and  your  position  was,  to 
say  the  least,  peculiar." 

"  I  am  John  Hunt,"  I  began. 

"Damn  your  name,"  he  interrupted  impa 
tiently,  "  I  am  Albert  Lorimer,  but  what  does 
that  signify  ?  I  know  who  you  are — you're 
the  hermit  from  the  cape,  and  I've  seen  you 
many  a  time — but  what  were  you  doing  here 
with  Dick  Forward  last  night? — that's  what  I 
want  to  know." 

"  Put  on  your  hat  and  come  with  me,"  said 
I.  "I'll  tell  you  as  we  go." 

He  did  as  I  bade  him,  and  as  I  hurried  him 
down  the  road,  I  explained  my  position  as  well 
as  I  could.  His  face  lightened  as  I  went  on,  and 
as  I  finished,  he  stopped  and  held  out  his  hand. 

"  They  seem  to  have  played  tag  with  you, 
Mister  Hunt,"  said  he,  with  a  smile,  "but 
you've  done  the  old  man  a  good  turn,  and  I'll 
shake  hands.  And  now,  whereabouts  in  the 
woods  have  you  left  him  ?  ' ' 

"  He's  safe  enough  until  we  get  back,"  said 
I.  "I've  told  you  my  story,  now  tell  me 
where  is  Harry  ?  ' ' 

97 


Forward  House 


He  started  and  looked  keenly  at  me. 

"  What  Harry  ?  "  said  he,  affecting  surprise. 
"  What  the  devil  do  you  know  of  Harry  ?  " 

"I  saw  the  fight  this  morning,"  said  I, 
briefly. 

He  changed  his  manner  in  an  instant. 

"And  the  Colonel — does  he  know  about 
it  ?  "  he  asked,  eagerly,  and  when  I  reassured 
him,  "Then  keep  it  to  yourself,"  he  added, 
with  evident  relief.  "  I'll  tell  you  now  that 
the  old  man  loves  Dick  yet,  and  it  would  kill 
him  if  he  knew  what  Harry  had  done  for  him. 
If  we  have  to  tell  him  anything,  we  can  tell 
him  a  lie." 

"But  tell  me,"  I  asked.  "Is  Nicholson 
dead  ?  ' ' 

"  Nicholson?  "  he  repeated,  with  a  puzzled 
look.  "  Oh,  you  mean  Dick  Forward  ?  I  don't 
know.  Yes,  dead  or  dying." 

I  would  have  asked  where  they  had  left  him, 
but  we  could  talk  no  more,  for  the  road  was  al 
ready  filling  with  dazed  and  frightened  fisher 
men  from  the  village,  and  a  party  of  them 
joined  us. 

We  found  a  scene  of  wreck  and  ruin.  My 
house  was  gone,  and  the  trees  that  had  stood 
nearest  it  lay  prostrate  on  the  ground.  It  did 
not  seem  possible  that  any  human  agency  could 


The  Villains  Destroy  My  House 

have  accomplished  the  havoc,  but  when  I  said 
as  much  to  Lorimer,  he  gave  me  a  curious  look 
and  shrugged  his  shoulders. 

Of  the  house  and  of  those  who  had  been  by 
it,  there  was  literally  nothing  left,  and  I  think 
this  obliteration  of  the  band  struck  me  as  the 
most  awful  part  of  the  business.  It  would  have 
been  some  relief  to  have  any  tangible  evidence 
of  what  had  happened.  I  knew  that  not  less 
than  eighteen  or  twenty  men  had  been  in  or 
around  the  house  at  the  instant  of  the  explosion, 
and  of  all  that  crew  it  seemed  that  the  three  I 
had  seen  running  had  alone  escaped.  But  the 
first  feeling  of  horror  which  had  possessed  me, 
gave  way  to  rage  when  I  thought  on  the  mag 
nitude  of  my  own  loss,  and  what  the  villains 
had  done  for  me.  And  I  thought  bitterly  of 
the  chief  villain  of  all,  and  wondered  whether 
he  had  gone  with  the  rest. 

The  men  from  the  village  were  exploring  the 
grounds  curiously,  and  there  were  wicked  looks 
on  the  faces  of  the  fellows  from  Forward  House. 
Presently  Lorimer  came  up  to  me. 

"  Don't  turn  quickly,"  he  said,  in  a  tone 
scarcely  above  a  whisper  ;  "I  can't  answer  for 
my  men  if  they  see  him,  but  there's  a  black 
spot  down  the  road  that  should  be  Dick  For 
ward  on  his  stretcher,  where  his  cowardly  men 

99 


Forward  House 


have  left  him.  I'll  keep  my  men  busy,  and 
set  the  fishermen  to  work,  and  do  you  slip 
quietly  down  and  see  whether  I  am  right.  If 
it  is  Dick,  dead  or  alive,  draw  him  under  cover 
of  the  bushes  out  of  sight.  We  must  get  him 
back  to  the  house." 

I  had  forgotten  all  about  the  two  men  with 
the  litter  who  had  kept  straight  on  past  my 
house  while  their  companions  turned  in,  but 
Lorimer's  first  words  brought  the  incident  back 
to  me,  and  as  he  led  the  crowd  into  the  yard 
on  a  pretext  of  making  further  investigation,  I 
turned  away  and  started  quietly  down  the  road. 

The  dark  object  lay  by  the  roadside,  two 
or  three  hundred  yards  away,  and  as  I  got  near 
it  I  saw  it  was  the  body  of  a  man.  It  was  Nich 
olson,  as  I  knew  before  I  came  up  to  him,  and 
a  second  glance  showed  me  he  was  not  dead, 
but  unconscious. 

At  that  instant  all  the  devil  in  me  was  on 
top,  and  I  stood  and  filled  myself  with  the 
sight  of  him,  and  for  the  first  minute  my  only 
sorrow  was  that  he  was  not  conscious  of  his 
plight.  And  with  that  I  had  sated  my  longing 
for  revenge,  I  suppose,  for  I  found  myself  mak 
ing  excuses  for  the  scoundrel.  In  his  state,  it 
was  more  than  likely  that  the  attack  on  my 
house  had  been  beyond  his  ken  and  will.  And 


The  Villains  Destroy  My  House 

then  my  mind  went  back  to  that  scene  in  the 
hollow,  his  manly  bearing  and  his  pluck  ;  and 
I  went  on  my  knees  beside  him  and  called  him 
by  the  name  he  had  given  himself. 

He  stirred  at  my  voice.  Then  he  opened 
his  eyes  and  looked  me  full  in  the  face,  for  I 
was  bending  over  him.  He  stared  blankly  for 
a  second,  and  something  like  a  smile  softened 
his  drawn  features. 

"  As  I  live,"  said  he,  weakly,  "  it's  Mister 
Hunt !  For  the  love  of  God,  John  Hunt, 
where  did  you  drop  from,  and  where  am  I  ?  " 


101 


X 

I    RETURN    TO    FORWARD    HOUSE 

HE  was  but  the  shadow  of  the  man  whom 
I  had  seen  striding  vigorously  across 
the  fields  hardly  an  hour  ago.  Weak  and  white, 
and  with  the  mark  of  death  on  his  face,  he 
looked  bravely  back  into  mine  and  read  my 
thoughts. 

"  You're  well  quit  of  a  troublesome  guest," 
said  he,  "  for  I'll  sit  no  more  at  your  table." 

A  shout  from  up  the  road  broke  in  upon  us  ; 
the  villagers  had  come  upon  some  ghastly  relic 
in  the  ruins.  The  sound  quickened  my  senses 
to  the  situation,  and  I  was  surprised  that  the 
dying  man  noticed  it  also. 

"What  was  that?"  he  asked,  peevishly, 
"and  what  am  I  lying  here  in  the  road  for? 
Where's  Allison — where  are  my  men  ?  " 

"It's  all  right,"  I  answered,  soothingly. 
"I'm  here  to  do  you  a  service,  but  you  mustn't 
ask  any  questions.  Do  as  I  tell  you,  and  trust 
me.  Now  set  your  teeth  together,  for  I've  got 
to  move  you." 

102 


/  Return  to  Forward  House 

As  tenderly  as  I  could,  I  drew  him  back 
into  the  bushes  away  from  the  road.  He 
looked  at  me  wonderingly. 

"Now,"  said  I,  "I've  got  to  leave  you, 
and  it's  all  your  life's  worth  and  more  too,  to 
be  seen  here.  Mind  you  lie  still  until  I  send 
the  men  for  you. ' ' 

"  There's  no  fear  about  that,"  he  whispered. 
"I'll  be  still  enough  before  you  get  back. 
Oh,  I  know,"  he  added,  as  I  tried  to  look  in 
credulous,  "and  so  do  you.  I'm  dying,  Mis 
ter  Hunt,  and  I've  got  daylight  in  both  lungs. 
Can't  you  see  the  blood,  man  ?  " 

"  Who  did  it?  "  I  asked,  at  a  loss  for  a  more 
sensible  question. 

"Excuse  me,"  he  said,  feebly.  "Between 
gentlemen,  you  know.  Fair  thrusts — both  of 
them.  If  you've  anything  to  do,  you'd  much 
better  leave  me  and  do  it."  And  then  closing 
his  eyes,  he  said,  softly  to  himself,  "  If  I  could 
see  my  father  and  Molly — just  a  minute,  just  a 
minute." 

I  turned  away,  and  he  mistook  the  cause. 

"I  say,"  he  whispered,  "is  that  all?  No 
good-by  or  blessing  or  anything  ?  It's  not  far 
off." 

And  indeed  I  was  of  the  same  opinion  as  I 
looked  at  him,  and  I  saw  that  if  anything  were 
103 


Forward  House 


to  be  done,  there  was  no  time  to  lose.  I  took 
his  hand. 

"  I  will  say  good-by  if  you  wish  it,"  said  I, 
"  but  I  shall  see  you  again,  for  I'm  coming 
back  soon." 

And  without  looking  at  that  gray  face  again, 
I  turned  and  left  him. 

Lorimer  was  looking  for  me  when  I  got  back 
to  the  scene  of  the  wreck,  and  he  drew  me 
aside. 

"  It  is  Dick  ?  "  he  asked,  with  a  scowl. 

"Yes,"  said  I,  "and  all  but  dead." 

He  hesitated  a  minute. 

"  It  comes  hard,"  he  said,  finally,  "but  the 
old  man  would  want  it  so.  I'll  do  what  I  can. 
Run  along  and  look  after  the  Colonel.  Don't 
tell  him  anything,  but  keep  him  there  in  some 
way  until  you  hear  me  calling  to  you.  Now 
tell  me  where  I  shall  find  you." 

I  told  him  as  nearly  as  I  could,  and  hurried 
on  to  find  the  old  man. 

Events  had  chased  so  closely  on  each  other's 
heels  that  morning,  that  I  had  scarcely  thought 
of  the  woman  who  had  inadvertently  let  me 
into  this  adventure ;  but  as  I  walked  back  to 
Forward  House  on  my  way  to  the  woods,  I  re 
called  Nicholson's  words,  and  wondered  where 
the  girl  was.  From  the  slight  speech  that  had 
104 


passed  between  the  brothers  before  they  tried 
conclusions,  I  divined  the  cause  of  Harry's 
hate,  and  the  girl's  position  to  the  other.  She 
should  be  Richard's  wife,  and  even  now  was 
probably  awaiting  his  return  to  her  —  but 
where?  I  reached  the  top  of  the  hill  and 
stopped  a  moment  for  breath,  and  as  I  turned 
to  look  back  down  the  road,  my  question  was 
answered,  for  a  mile  or  two  off  shore  a  black 
steamer  was  coursing  north.  She  was  the  only 
moving  thing  on  all  that  sweep  of  sea,  and  my 
eyes  followed  her  eagerly  until,  with  a  broad 
turn,  she  came  about  and  went  slowly  back 
south.  I  was  positive  that  here  was  the  yacht 
that  had  brought  the  invaders,  but  I  had  no 
time  to  watch  her  further,  and  turning  my  back 
to  the  sea,  I  hurried  on  to  Forward  House. 

I  had  had  no  thought  of  stopping  there,  but 
as  I  passed  the  side  door  which  had  given  en 
trance  to  me  earlier  in  the  morning,  I  heard  a 
sound  inside  the  house  and  instantly  divined 
its  meaning.  The  Colonel  had  returned,  and 
when  I  had  passed  in  and  through  to  the  lib 
rary,  I  found  him  standing  in  the  middle  of 
the  room,  gazing  sadly  on  the  ruin  about  him. 
He  glanced  toward  me  as  I  entered. 

"  See  what  they  have  done  to  me,"  he  said. 

"They've  done  far  worse  for  me,"  I  an- 


Forward  House 


swered,  sorrowfully,  "  and  worse  than  either  for 
themselves." 

"  What  do  you  mean  ?  "  he  asked,  sharply. 
And  then  as  if  the  question  brought  him  back, 
"Where  have  you  been,  Mister  Hunt — and 
where  are  my  men  ?  ' ' 

"  You  have  heard  nothing  ?  " 

"No,  no,"  he  said,  impatiently.  "How 
the  devil  should  I  hear  anything  ?  " 

Ordinarily  I  should  have  shown  temper  at 
his  brusqueness,  but  when  I  thought  of  the  mis 
ery  still  in  store  for  him,  I  had  no  anger  left, 
and  I  told  him  what  had  happened  to  my  house 
and  the  fellows  who  had  fired  it.  He  turned 
white  when  I  came  to  the  catastrophe. 

"  Good  God,"  said  he,  "  what  folly  !  What 
can  Dick  have  been  thinking  of?  He  was  not 
there,  Mister  Hunt ;  depend  upon  it,  he  was 
not  there.  He  knows  the  danger  of  the  stuff 
too  well.  There  was  an  accident,  you  may  be 
sure  of  that — and  yet  I  cannot  see  why  he 
should  take  it  into  your  house  at  all." 

"  I  don't  know  what  you  are  driving  at," 
said  I,  "but  if  you  think  it  was  an  accident 
that  set  my  house  afire,  I  know  better,"  and  I 
told  him  how  I  had  watched  the  villains  go 
coolly  to  their  work. 

"  Oh,  as  to  that,"  he  answered,  unconcern- 
106 


/  Return  to  Forward  House 

edly,  ' '  they  meant  that  much,  I  dare  say — but 
the  explosion — pshaw  !  They  wouldn't  have 
wasted  the  stuff  in  that  way." 

He  was  talking  riddles  to  me,  and  that  and 
his  cool  indifference  to  my  own  misfortune  mad 
dened  me  in  spite  of  myself. 

"  Have  you  no  thought  but  of  yourself?  "  I 
cried,  angrily.  "  While  you  are  dwelling  on 
your  own  miserable  secret  and  keeping  me  in 
the  dark,  remember  the  position  I  am  in  and 
the  outrage  I  have  suffered.  Is  it  nothing  to 
you  that  through  taking  up  your  cause  my 
house  and  everything  I  owned  have  been  swept 
away  ?  ' ' 

"  Tut,"  he  answered,  peevishly,  and  I  saw  the 
son  in  his  look  and  gesture.  "  That's  a  great 
pity,  of  course,  but  suppose  you  had  been  in 
your  house.  Rather  go  down  on  your  knees 
and  thank  God  and  my  warning  that  you  are 
not  lying  over  ten  acres  of  ground  this  minute  ! 
And  instead  of  that,"  he  went  on  with  a  little 
sigh,  "  it  has  been  your  privilege  to  see  the  first 
practical  test  of  the  most  powerful  explosive  on 
earth  !  " 

I  looked  at  him  with  a  growing  pity.      The 

man  was  clearly  mad ;  and  while  that  thought 

was  passing,  his  brave  front  vanished  and  the 

tears  were  trickling  down  his  face.     So  while 

107 


Forward  House 


I  could  have  killed  him  for  his  indifference  to 
me  in  one  instant,  the  next  my  soul  was  melt 
ing  for  him.  And  all  this  time  a  dozen  differ 
ent  trains  of  thought  were  tramping  through  my 
head,  and  with  them  marched  that  preposter 
ous  story  of  the  wretched  son,  in  which  I  now 
saw  the  thread  of  truth — a  story  so  skilfully 
built  upon  to  enlist  my  sympathy,  and  to  cover 
the  villainy  of  the  man's  purpose.  I  saw  his 
vile  heart  laid  bare,  I  saw  him  as  he  was,  a 
mercenary  plotter  against  his  own  blood,  a 
man  who  had  painted  his  father  a  thief  and  a 
liar  to  enlist  me  in  his  own  outrageous  cause — 
but  what  cause?  And  a  vision  of  the  girl 
trooped  after  him,  the  girl  with  her  fear  and 
misery,  her  stealth  and  haste,  and  all  for  what  ? 
And  then  that  picture  of  the  old  man  running 
through  the  darkness,  and  digging  like  a  savage 
in  the  woods,  and  crying  out  that  it  was  gone 
— what  ? 

I  wonder  now  that  I  could  have  been  so 
dense,  but  God  made  me  somewhat  slow  of 
comprehension,  and  I  had  not  looked  for  so 
much  hell  in  so  trifling  a  thing  as  that  bottle. 
But  the  truth  came  to  me  somehow  in  the 
midst  of  my  jumbled  thoughts. 

"  Oh,  you  fool,"  I  groaned. 

The  Colonel  looked  at  me  in  surprise,  and 
1 08 


/  Return  to  Forward  House 

his  eyes   seemed    singularly    clear    for  a   mad 
man's. 

"  I  am  wondering  where  my  wits  have  been," 
said  I,  answering  his  look.  "I  left  one  of 
your  infernal  powder  bottles  in  my  library  last 
night." 

He  looked  puzzled,  but  whatever  answer  he 
would  have  made  me  never  came,  for  in  the 
same  instant  we  both  heard  voices  and  the 
sound  of  men  in  the  front  hall.  There  was  a 
rough  tread,  and  a  scuffling  of  feet  as  of  men 
bearing  a  heavy  burden,  and  as  we  listened, 
Lorimer's  voice  broke  upon  us. 

The  Colonel  looked  relieved  and  started  for 
the  door,  but  I  detained  him,  for  I  knew  the 
sight  that  awaited  him. 

They  had  not  reckoned  on  finding  the  old 
man  here,  and  it  was  Richard  Forward  they 
were  bringing  home.  I  knew  this  and  blocked 
the  Colonel's  path. 

"  I  would  not  go,"  said  I,  earnestly.  "  Stay 
this  side  the  door  and  let  me  talk  to 
you." 

He  looked  at  me  in  amazement. 

"You  forget  yourself,"  said  he,  stiffly. 
"  Stand  aside." 

And  in  the  instant  that  we  stood  there — he 
calmly   waiting,    and    I   uncertain — Lorimer's 
109 


Forward  House 


voice  broke  the  silence  and  bore  us  this  cruel 
speech. 

"  Lay  him  here,"  says  he.  "He's  as  well 
here  as  anywhere,  and  he'll  never  feel  a  bed 
again. ' ' 

And  then  the  door  behind  me  opened,  and 
Lorimer  stood  face  to  face  with  the  Master  of 
Forward  House. 

The  old  man  drew  himself  up. 

"  Is  it  Dick  or  Harry  ?  "  he  asked,  sternly  ; 
but  he  got  his  answer  from  beyond  and  in  a 
voice  I  knew. 

"  Father,  father,"  and  it  was  the  echo  of  Nich 
olson's  strong  voice  that  I  heard,  "I'll  not 
stay  long,  but  I  want  to  start  clean  ;  ' '  and  as 
the  old  man  went  trembling  from  our  sight, 
the  rest  trooped  out  and  left  the  two  together, 
and  I  heard  him  sobbing  his  forgiveness  as  the 
door  closed  upon  them. 

For  some  minutes,  Lorimer  scarcely  noticed 
me,  but  stood  at  the  window  scowling.  Finally 
he  turned  and  abruptly  dismissed  the  two  men 
who  had  remained  in  the  room  with  us,  and 
when  they  had  gone,  he  strode  impulsively 
up  to  me,  and  laid  a  hand  on  each  of  my 
shoulders. 

"Mister  Hunt,"  says  he,  bringing  his  face 
level  with  mine  and  looking  me  squarely  in  the 
no 


eyes,  ' '  this  is  a  bad  business,  and  I  wish  we 
were  all  quit  of  it — but  that  dying  man  in 
there  with  all  his  sins  is  a  man — do  you  hear 
me — a  man  /  ' ' 

He  paused,  and  I  waited  for  him  to  go 
on. 

"And  as  for  Harry,"  he  continued,  "I 
hope  he's  in  hell  this  minute,  where  he  belongs. 
I've  talked  with  Dick  since  you  left  him,  and 
he's  badly  off  and  going  fast,  but  he  made  me 
promise  not  to  tell  the  old  man  about  that  affair 
with  Harry,  and  all  for  Harry's  sake,  mind 
you!  " 

He  gripped  me  with  his  two  hands  as  he 
spoke,  and  his  eyes  reddened. 

"Well?"  said  I. 

"  Well,"  he  blurted  out,  and  fairly  shook 
me,  "  that's  a  man's  part,  I  say.  But  what's 
more,  he  spoke  of  you — you — and  says  he  : 
'  Do  you  straighten  things  with  John  Hunt, 
Lorimer,  for  I'll  not  see  him  again,  and  he  did 
me  a  good  turn.'  ' 

And  with  that  the  man  flung  his  hands  to 
his  face  and  turned  again  to  the  window.  I 
respected  his  feeling  and  looked  away.  He 
wheeled  around  and  faced  me  after  a  mo 
ment. 

"  And  that,"  said  he,  resuming,  "  is  what  I 
in 


Forward  House 


shall  do.  I've  promised  him  and  he  deserves 
it.  How  much  do  you  know  already  ?  " 

"  Nothing,"  said  I,  and  at  that  he  looked 
me  over  in  astonishment. 

"  There's  no  joke  about  this,"  said  he, 
gruffly.  "  I'm  keeping  faith  with  a  dying 
man,  and  I  don't  want  any  nonsense  with  you. ' ' 

"  I  tell  you,"  said  I,  stiffly,  "that  I  know 
nothing  about  this — I  don't  care  to  urge  the 
point." 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,"  he  answered,  rather 
more  graciously,  "  but  surely — the  Colonel's 
invention?  " 

I  feigned  not  to  see  the  incredulity  that 
filled  his  face. 

"  And  what,"  said  I,  "is  that?  " 

He  looked  at  me  so  long  without  replying 
that  I  felt  my  color  rising. 

"You  will  bear  in  mind,  Mister  Lorimer," 
said  I,  " — if  that's  your  name — that  I'm  no 
neighborhood  gossip.  Your  and  your  master's 
business " 

He  raised  a  deprecating  hand. 

"I  am  sorry,"  said  he,  "  and  I  was  wrong 
to  doubt  you.  But  I  appreciate  your  kind, 
Mister  Hunt,  rare  as  it  is.  Believe  me,  in  my 
gospel  there's  nothing  so  lovable  as  an  indif 
ferent  neighbor  !  And  now  I've  more  to  tell 
112 


/  Return  to  Forward  House 

you  than  I  thought — and  we'd  better  go  out 
side." 

And  as  we  walked  across  the  fields  together, 
he  told  me  what  I  shall  relate  in  his  own  words 
as  far  as  memory  will  indulge  me. 


XI 

LORIMER    EXPLAINS 

"T  HAVE  lived  here  five  years,"  Lorimer 
JL  began,  "  and  next  after  his  own  blood, 
no  one  knows  the  old  man  as  well  as  I.  When 
he  left  the  service,  he  brought  me  back  here  to 
live  with  him,  and  for  a  long  time  I  was  his 
only  companion.  I  don't  know  how  to  ex 
plain  my  position,  unless  you  choose  to  call 
me  a  sort  of  superintendent — and  that  doesn't 
fill  the  bill,  for  he  has  made  both  friend  and 
confidant  of  me. 

"You  see  his  wife  had  recently  died,  and 
his  two  sons,  Dick  and  Harry,  were  long  out  of 
leading  strings  and  in  their  own  ways.  Harry 
was  in  the  army  and  Dick  in  the  navy,  but 
they  were  both  inordinately  lazy,  and  when 
they  came  into  a  little  money  at  their  mother's 
death,  Dick  threw  up  his  commission  outright, 
and  Harry  did  even  worse :  he  got  into  bad 
ways  and  was  shortly  sent  home. 

"  Now,  all  this  time  the  old  man  was  working 
114 


Lo rimer  Explains 


on  an  idea  that  had  furnished  both  the  pleasure 
and  the  business  of  his  life  for  many  years. 
Ten  years  ago  he  conceived  the  invention  of 
that  infernal  powder  which  lies  at  the  bottom 
of  the  whole  business,  and  he's  done  little  but 
experiment  with  the  devilish  stuff  since. 

"  I  think  it  was  a  fear  that  Harry  would 
surprise  his  secret,  that  made  the  old  man  so 
mad  with  the  boy  when  he  came  home.  At 
any  rate,  he  sent  the  young  fellow  packing  in 
short  order,  and  went  on  more  stolidly  than 
ever  with  his  experiments.  Dick,  meanwhile, 
did  not  interfere  with  the  Colonel,  for  he  never 
came  home  at  all,  and  neither  son  at  this  time 
took  the  old  man's  occupation  seriously. 

"  But  shortly  after  Harry's  dismissal  there 
was  a  change  in  the  establishment  here  :  An 
old  army  friend  of  the  Colonel  died,  leaving  a 
daughter  —  poor  and  without  a  relative  on 
earth — and  the  old  man,  out  of  the  goodness  of 
his  heart,  brought  her  here  to  live.  If  you've 
ever  seen  Molly  Bridgman,  you  needn't  be 
told  what  a  fine  woman  she  is.  The  Colonel 
got  very  fond  of  her,  and  before  long  she  was 
sharing  honors  with  the  invention  in  occupy 
ing  his  time — though  I  think  the  powder  al 
ways  held  first  place. 

"  About  two  years  ago,  Harry  appeared  on 


the  scene  again,  and  this  time  the  father  took  him 
in.  The  boy  had  run  through  his  money  and 
came  home  looking  like  a  tramp.  He  had  no 
sooner  been  taken  back  than  he  dropped  his  hu 
mility,  and  became  as  overbearing  as  ever.  He 
was  a  disagreeable  fellow — gave  himself  great 
airs,  kept  the  Colonel  in  a  stew  most  of  the 
time,  and  fell  head  over  ears  in  love  with  Miss 
Bridgman  ;  then  he  sulked  and  took  to  drink 
ing  because  she  would  have  none  of  him.  I 
can't  begin  to  tell  you  the  trial  he  was  to  the 
old  man,  who  was  meanwhile  making  very  sub 
stantial  progress  with  his  experiments,  and  who 
had  to  conduct  everything  in  absolute  privacy 
because  he  so  distrusted  Harry.  He  talked 
with  me  about  it,  and  finally  he  wrote  to  Dick 
and  told  him  how  matters  stood,  and  Dick 
came  home. 

"  How  much  the  Colonel  told  him  about 
the  invention,  I  don't  know  —  but  it  was 
enough  to  arouse  Dick's  interest,  at  any  rate. 
He  stayed  a  month,  and  after  he  had  gone,  the 
old  man  kept  up  a  correspondence  with  him — 
a  thing  he  had  not  done  for  years. 

"All  this  made  Harry  wild  with  jealousy. 
He  probably  suspected  more  than  there  really 
was,  for  the  Colonel  was  canny  enough  with 
the  nearest  of  us. 

116 


Larimer  Explains 


"  So  Harry  set  to  work  to  undermine  Dick's 
influence  with  his  father,  and  he  played  his 
first  card  a  year  ago,  when  Dick  came  on  a 
second  visit.  He  pretended  to  be  delighted 
to  see  Dick  again,  gained  his  confidence  while 
he  was  here,  and  played  his  game  so  neatly 
that  Dick  interfered  on  his  behalf  with  the 
Colonel.  Then  when  Dick  had  gone  away 
again,  Harry  ran  to  the  old  man  with  a  cock- 
and-bull  story  about  having  surprised  a  scheme 
of  Dick's  to  swindle  the  father  out  of  his  rights 
— and  the  whelp  urged  that  Dick's  intercession 
with  the  old  man  was  only  intended  as  a  bribe 
to  keep  Harry's  mouth  shut.  I  don't  know 
the  whole  story,  but  I'm  sure  it  wouldn't  have 
worked  with  Colonel  Forward  if  another  thing 
hadn't  come  to  his  knowledge  at  the  same 
time.  He  surprised  a  correspondence  going 
on  between  Miss  Molly  and  Dick,  and  found 
that  the  son  had  been  making  love  to  his  ward, 
and  that  they  had  kept  their  own  counsel  in 
the  matter. 

"Now,  the  Colonel's  notions  of  honor  are 
rather  strait-laced,  and  it  annoyed  him  that 
Dick  should  have  concealed  anything  of  the 
sort  from  him,  so  he  wrote  a  sharp  letter,  and 
it  came  out  that  Harry  had  been  tale-bearing 
and  there  was  hell  to  pay  right  off. 
117 


"  Perhaps  other  things  were  at  work  with  the 
Colonel — I  don't  know  as  to  that.  There 
seemed  something  a  bit  shady  about  Dick,  and 
his  reticence  gave  color  to  the  suspicion.  All 
we  knew  of  him  during  his  absences  was  that 
he  was  '  following  the  sea  '  as  he  explained  to 
us,  and  that  left  a  wide  range  for  conjecture. 

"  At  any  rate,  the  Colonel's  suspicious  nature 
had  got  a  shock,  and  he  lost  confidence  in  Dick, 
and  when  Dick  came  back  here  in  high  feather, 
about  a  month  ago,  to  renew  his  business  nego 
tiations  about  the  invention,  the  old  gentle 
man  stood  him  off  and  politely  declined  to 
have  anything  to  say  about  the  matter.  Dick 
pocketed  the  insult  and  went  away,  but  he 
left  the  old  man  uneasy,  and  at  Harry's  sug 
gestion  our  establishment  here  was  increased, 
and  we  began  to  maintain  something  like  mili 
tary  discipline  about  the  place.  More  than 
that,  the  Colonel  suddenly  suspended  work, 
and  removed  all  traces  of  it.  I'm  sure  I  don't 
know  where  he  carried  his  stuff,  but  it  was 
taken  away  from  the  house. 

"  I  don't  know  whether  the  Colonel  heard 
from  him  again  or  not,  but  the  next  chapter  of 
the  business  that  I  have  any  knowledge  of,  was 
Dick's  appearance  here  day  before  yesterday. 
He  was  as  pleasant  as  though  nothing  had 
118 


Larimer  Explains 


happened,  and  told  us  he  had  run  down  to  say 
good-by,  as  he  was  going  out  of  the  country 
next  day.  The  Colonel  met  him  half-way,  and 
whatever  talk  they  had  in  private,  seemed  to 
have  settled  any  difference  that  lay  between 
them.  I  thought  that  Harry  was  of  that 
opinion,  too,  for  he  made  no  great  effort  to 
conceal  his  annoyance  at  Dick's  return.  Peace 
seemed  quite  restored  for  everyone  but  him, 
and  even  Miss  Molly  looked  brighter  at  dinner 
than  I'd  seen  her  for  many  a  day.  But  Harry 
sat  sullen  and  frowning. 

' '  As  we  got  up  from  table,  the  Colonel 
turned  to  him. 

"  '  Harry,'  says  he,  '  your  brother's  going 
away  to-morrow  on  a  long  trip.' 

"'Dear  me,'  sneered  Harry.  'I'm  sorry 
for  that  !  ' 

"I  saw  Dick  bite  his  lip,  but  the  old  man 
affected  not  to  notice  anything. 

"  '  Come  into  the  library,'  said  he.  '  I 
want  to  talk  to  you  and  Dick  together.' 

"  'I'm  sorry,'  Harry  said,  with  a  queer  look 
at  his  brother,  '  but  I'm  busy  this  evening,  and 
you'll  have  to  excuse  me.' 

"  He  whipped  off  by  himself  after  that,  and 
when  I  walked  out  under  the  trees  five  minutes 
later,  he  was  standing  under  the  library  win- 
119 


Forward  House 


dow  and  puzzling  over  a  letter  which  he  held 
so  the  light  from  the  house  fell  upon  it — and 
he  shoved  it  hastily  into  his  pocket  as  I  came 
up,  and  went  into  the  house.  A  minute  later, 
I  saw  a  light  shining  from  his  window  in  the 
top  of  the  house. 

"  My  own  room  here  is  in  the  second  story 
over  the  library,  and  the  Colonel  and  Dick 
slept  on  the  first  floor.  I  went  up  early,  and 
for  a  long  time  I  heard  the  murmur  of  steady 
talking  below.  I  could  not  tell  the  voices,  but 
from  what  had  passed  at  dinner,  I  knew  they 
should  be  those  of  the  Colonel  and  Dick. 

"  About  midnight,  the  sound  stopped  ;  then 
doors  closed,  and  the  house  became  still.  But 
I  had  hardly  got  quiet  when  I  heard  Miss 
Bridgman's  door  at  the  end  of  the  passage 
creak,  and  an  instant  after  someone  went  soft 
ly  downstairs.  A  dead  silence  followed — and 
then  a  sound  directly  below  me  in  the  library 
— then  heavier  footsteps,  a  woman's  faint  cry 
— a  slamming  door,  and  then  voices. 

"  I  sprang  out  of  bed  and  opened  my  door. 
The  Colonel  was  talking  excitedly  in  the  lib 
rary. 

' '  '  She  was  at  my  papers, '  he  was  saying. 
'  What  mischief  is  this  ?  ' 

"  '  My  dear  father,'  Dick  answered,  calmly, 
1 20 


Lorimer  Explains 


'  I  assure  you  I  know  no  more  about  it  than 
you.  I  heard  the  noise,  and  like  yourself,  I 
came  in  to  investigate.' 

"  '  And  how  is  it  you  are  dressed  at  this 
hour  ?  '  the  Colonel  asked,  suspiciously. 

"  '  I  had  not  undressed,'  replied  Dick. 
'  Really,  father,  your  manner  is  most  unpleas 
ant,'  and  he  spoke  in  an  injured  tone.  '  I  as 
sure  you  I  see  no  sense  in  all  this,  and  as  I 
told  you  to-day,  Miss  Bridgman  is  no  longer 
anything  to  me.' 

' '  I  heard  the  Colonel  growl  out  some  reply 
as  he  crossed  the  library,  and  went  swiftly 
through  the  hall  to  the  other  side  of  the  house. 

"'Well?'  Dick  called  after  him,  and  I 
thought  rather  nervously,  '  where  are  you  go- 
ing?' 

"The  old  man  had  reached  a  window. 

"  '  There  she  goes,'  he  shouted.  '  There's 
her  light  out  on  the  road.' 

"  I  had  slipped  out  to  the  head  of  the  stairs, 
and  as  Dick  passed  the  foot  in  pursuit  of  the 
old  gentleman,  he  was  cursing  at  someone's 
stupidity  softly  under  his  breath,  and  I  drew 
my  own  conclusions.  The  old  man  was  fum 
bling  at  the  door-fastenings  as  Dick  came  up 
with  him. 

"'Stop,'  said  the  younger  man,  perstia- 
121 


Forward  House 


sively.  '  Wait  a  bit.  Where's  Harry  all  this 
time?  Before  you  go  any  further,  let's  see 
where  we  are. ' 

' '  '  What  do  you  mean  ?  '  the  Colonel 
shouted. 

"  '  Do  you  remember  his  excuses  at  din 
ner  ? '  said  Dick. 

"  I  did,  at  any  rate,  and  I  remembered  his 
secrecy  about  the  letter  he  had  been  reading 
when  I  came  upon  him  in  the  yard.  I  began 
to  wonder  which  of  the  sons  was  at  the  bottom 
of  it  all. 

"'Go  to  Harry's  room  and  see  if  he's 
there,'  Dick  continued.  '  I'll  lay  you  a  little 
bet ' 

"  I  didn't  hear  the  rest,  for  I  bolted  back  into 
my  own  room  as  the  Colonel  came  tearing  up 
the  stairs,  and  an  instant  later  I  heard  him  at 
Harry's  door.  He  was  back  again  in  a  breath 
and  had  joined  Dick  in  the  hall. 

"  '  Well?  '  asked  the  son,  coolly. 

"  '  The  traitor,'  said  his  father,  'he's  gone, 
too!  ' 

' '  '  Then  do  you  stay  here,  and  let  me  follow 
them,'  said  Dick,  quickly,  and  he  unbolted  the 
door.  They  passed  out  together,  and  down  the 
drive. 

"  I  waited  for  an  hour  with  my  door  ajar, 


Lorimer  Explains 


and  then  I  heard  steps  approaching  the  house. 
A  key  was  put  cautiously  into  the  lock  of  the 
side  door,  and  a  man  entered  the  house.  I  rec 
ognized  Harry's  nervous  step  as  he  walked 
through  to  the  library,  and  his  voice  as  he 
gave  a  short  exclamation  of  surprise  at  what  he 
saw  there.  The  next  moment  he  had  gone  to 
his  father's  room,  and  to  Dick's,  and  was  up 
stairs  at  a  jump  and  into  mine  without  cere 
mony. 

"  '  Lorimer,'  he  said,  groping  his  way  to  my 
bed  and  fumbling  for  me  ;  '  Lorimer,  what  in 
hell  does  this  mean  ?  Get  up,  man,  and  tell 
me  what's  happened.' 

"  I  made  no  excuses  for  being  half-dressed, 
but  got  up  and  told  him  what  I  had  heard,  and 
when  I  finished,  he  bade  me  go  downstairs 
with  him,  and  we  got  into  the  hall  just  in  time 
to  see  the  Colonel  come  in  at  the  front  door 
with  a  lantern  in  his  hand.  He  heard  us  on 
the  stairs  and  looked  up,  and  when  he  saw 
Harry,  he  nearly  dropped  his  lantern  in  amaze 
ment. 

"  '  Harry,'  said  he,  aghast,  '  Harry,  Harry  !  ' 
And  while  he  stood  with  his  mouth  open,  Harry 
fished  a  bit  of  crumpled  paper  out  of  a  pocket, 
and  thrust  it  in  his  face. 

"  '  Read  that,'  said  he,  triumphantly. 
123 


Forward  House 


"The  Colonel  recovered  himself,  and  lifting 
his  lantern,  smoothed  the  paper  and  read  aloud  : 

"  '  If  Harry  Forward  wants  evidence  of  his 
brother's  treachery  to  him  and  to  his  father,  let 
him  come  to  the  old  hotel  at  East  Crag  at  1 2 
to-night  and  ask  for  Mr.  Allison.  He  may  be 
able  to  frustrate  a  great  fraud  if  he  will  heed 
this  warning  from  one  who  wishes  both  him 
and  his  father  well.' 

"The  old  man  looked  it  over  carefully,  and 
turned  a  wicked  look  upon  his  son. 

"  '  Where  did  you  get  that  ?  '  he  asked. 

"  '  It  was  brought  over  in  the  mail  this  after 
noon,'  said  Harry. 

"  '  And  you  went,  I  suppose  ?  '  the  old  man 
continued. 

"  '  Yes,'  replied  the  other,  with  manifest  un 
easiness,  '  and  I've  done  a  good  job,  too,  for 
I've  seen  the  man ' 

"  The  Colonel  stopped  him. 

"  '  You're  a  poor  fool,  Harry,'  said  he. 
'  That  note  was  written  on  my  own  paper,  with 
my  own  ink,  in  my  own  library — and  it's  a 
woman's  hand.  Unless  I'm  much  mistaken, 
Molly  wrote  that  herself,  and  Dick  was  prob 
ably  hanging  over  her  shoulder  when  she  did 
it!  ' 

"Fora  moment  Harry  didn't  seem  to  un- 

124 


Larimer  Explains 


derstand,  then  he  started  for  the  door  without 
a  word. 

"  '  No,'  said  the  old  man,  seizing  his  arm. 
'  You've  done  enough  for  one  night,  now  stay 
here.  I  want  you,'  and  Harry  slunk  back. 

"  '  They've  duped  us  to-night,'  the  Colonel 
went  on,  'and  if  Molly  hadn't  been  too  eager, 
she  might  have  found  something  valuable.  As 
it  is,  the  papers  are  safe,  and  the  samples  they 
can  never  find.'  ' 

Lorimer  stopped  and  shook  his  head. 

''But  the  old  man  was  wrong  about  that," 
he  sighed,  and  paused  a  minute. 

"Well,"  he  resumed,  "the  old  man  sent 
Harry  upstairs  to  bed,  and  then  we  talked  it 
all  out  together. 

"  '  They'll  be  after  us  to-morrow,'  says  he, 
'  for  the  girl  ran  to  the  Crag,  and  Dick's  evi 
dently  got  a  ship  and  some  help  off  there.  So 
we'll  just  get  our  men  and  our  house  in  fight 
ing  trim,  and  give  them  a  reception  when  they 
come. ' 

"  The  next  morning — that  was  yesterday — 
he  sent  the  three  women  servants  away  to  the 
town — for  he  said  we'd  have  no  petticoats  on 
the  premises  'till  the  row  was  over.  Lord 
knows  what  excuse  he  made  them — but  they 
know  his  ways." 

125 


He  stopped  and  looked  at  me  expectantly. 
But  I  was  waiting  for  him  to  go  on. 

"Well?"  he  said,  after  a  moment,  driving 
his  hands  into  his  trousers  pockets  and  stopping 
short  in  his  walk. 

"  Are  you  done,  then  ?  "   I  asked. 

"  Yes,"  said  he,  and  I  thought  uneasily. 
"  Isn't  there  enough  ?  " 

"Too  much  or  too  little — as  you  please  to 
look  at  it,"  said  I,  frankly.  "  I  tell  you,  Mister 
Lorimer,  you  disappoint  me.  I  make  no  ques 
tion  of  the  truth  of  what  you  say,  and  it  ex 
plains  much  that  has  puzzled  me.  But  you're 
keeping  something  back.  There's  not  enough 
yet  to  account  for  what's  happened." 

As  I  spoke,  I  had  turned  at  his  lead  and  we 
were  retracing  our  way  to  the  house. 

"  I  have  told  you  all  I  may,"  says  he,  dog 
gedly,  "and  my  discretion  is  exhausted.  If 
there's  more  behind  it,  it's  none  of  my  affair 
and  much  less  yours.  And  if  I  were  you,  Mis 
ter  Hunt,  I'd  be  content  with  such  explanation 
as  lay  in  my  way." 

There  was  a  harsh  emphasis  in  his  voice,  and 
I  said  no  more,  but  my  wits  were  busy  with 
surmises.  We  entered  the  house  in  silence, 
and  as  we  passed  into  the  library  the  Colonel 
was  just  appearing  from  the  hall. 
126 


XII 

THE    ADVENT    OF   MISTER    HAWK 

I  NEVER  think  of  that  straight  figure  in  the 
doorway,  without  a  pang  of  pity  for  the 
grief  that  lay  upon  his  drawn  face  as  he  looked 
at  us.  I  heard  my  watch  tick  as  we  waited 
for  him  to  speak,  and  presently  Lorimer  walked 
over  to  him.  The  Colonel  looked  him  through 
as  he  approached,  and  there  was  that  in  the  old 
man's  face  that  set  the  younger  trembling  and 
made  his  eyes  shift. 

"Lorimer,"  said  he,  "God  forgive  me,  I 
have  done  wrong  !  But  I  did  not  know  the 
truth  !  ' ' 

And  as  the  other  made  no  answer,  he  went 
on. 

"  You've  been  near  to  me  in  time  past," 
says  he,  "  now  tell  me  this  :  Is  there  any  blood 
on  your  hands  ?  ' ' 

Lorimer  seemed  relieved  at  the  manner  of 
the  question,  and  looked  the  Colonel  squarely 
in  the  face. 

127 


Forward  House 


"No,"  said  he.  "  As  I  stand  here,  I  had 
no  part  in  it." 

"And  perhaps  you  can  tell  me,"  says  the 
old  man,  trembling,  "where  is  Harry  For 
ward?" 

But  Lorimer's  eyes  drooped  at  that,  and  he 
shook  his  head. 

"  And  I  thank  heaven  that  you  cannot,"  said 
the  Colonel,  so  I  knew  he  at  least  suspected  the 
truth. 

He  asked  no  more  questions,  but  passed 
across  to  me. 

"Mister  Hunt,"  said  he,  and  held  out  his 
hand,  "  you  did  not  know  my  son  Richard — 
you  knew  one  Nicholson  who  lived  a  night  and 
a  day,  and  where  he  came  from,  God  alone 
may  tell.  But  of  him  who  lies  in  there,  noth 
ing  but  good,  nothing  but  good.  He  died 
like  the  brave  man  he  was,  and  by  the  grace  of 
his  Maker  he  has  gone  where  brave  men  go." 

He  turned  away  with  his  voice  breaking, 
but  pulled  himself  proudly  together  in  the  next 
breath. 

"  Lorimer,"  said  he,  "  I  shall  carry  out  his 
wishes  to  the  letter,  and  if  God  is  good  to  me, 
I  shall  bring  her  back.  Meanwhile  do  you 
and  Mister  Hunt  watch  here  in  my  stead,  for 
I  trust  you  both." 

128 


The  Advent  of  Mister  Hawk 

And  with  no  more  words  he  left  the  room 
and  we  heard  him  pass  out  of  the  house.  Then, 
by  a  common  impulse,  Lorimer  and  I  turned 
to  the  hall. 

There  was  no  need  to  look  twice  at  the  stiff 
figure  and  the  sunken  face,  to  see  that  Richard 
Forward's  business  was  done.  From  his  ap 
pearance  and  the  pathetic  effort  that  had  been 
made  to  compose  the  dead  man's  limbs  and 
features,  I  judged  the  change  had  come  some 
time  ago.  How  long  his  father  had  stayed  there 
with  him  after  life  had  gone,  we  could  not  tell, 
but  the  clothes  had  been  tenderly  smoothed 
and  the  body  looked  as  if  already  prepared  for 
burial. 

Together  we  lifted  the  stretcher,  and  carried 
the  body  to  the  room  that  had  been  Dick's, 
and  laid  him  on  his  own  bed.  As  I  was  open 
ing  the  window  shutters,  I  heard  the  clatter  of 
horses'  hoofs,  and  Colonel  Forward  and  one 
of  his  men  rode  past  on  their  way  out  of  the 
grounds. 

At  that  sound  Lorimer  pushed  past  me  to 
the  window,  and  stood  looking  down  the  drive. 
And  as  he  watched  the  receding  figure  of  his 
master,  his  eyes  shone  with  excitement.  Pres 
ently  he  drew  back  and  turned  again  to  me. 

"  I  wonder  at  his  hardihood,"  said  he. 
129 


Forward  House 


"  His   years  sit  light  enough    when   there's  a 
man's  work  to  do." 

"  He  seems  a  brave  old  gentleman,"  I  ven 
tured. 

"You  may  well  say  that,"  said  he,  "but 
he  needs  it  all  this  day,  and  may  he  be  put 
in  the  way  of  what  he  seeks." 

"And  that?  "  I  asked. 

"  And  that,"  says  he  after  me,  "is  first  of 
all — forgiveness;"  and  suddenly  fell  silent 
again  with  his  face  to  the  window,  and  began 
crying  softly  like  a  girl. 

I  would  have  left  him  then,  but  he  called  on 
me  to  stay — and  when  he  had  pulled  himself 
together,  he  followed  me  from  the  room. 

But  that  excursion  to  the  dead  man's  room 
had  sapped  his  nerve.  He  stuck  at  ray  elbow 
in  the  passageway,  and  gave  the  dark  corners 
a  wide  berth  and  a  furtive  glance  as  we  passed. 

He  drew  a  deep  breath  of  relief  when  we  got 
back  to  the  library. 

"  I'm  for  a  drink,"  says  he,  "  and  if  you'll 
be  persuaded  ?  ' ' 

He  brought  two  glasses  and  a  bottle  of  whis 
key,  and  in  some  tedious  fashion  the  forenoon 
wore  away,  and  when  the  sunlight  began  creep 
ing  in  at  the  western  windows  we  were  still 
there. 

no 


The  Advent  of  Mister  Hawk 


Lorimer  sat  the  greater  part  of  the  while 
sunk  in  a  sullen  study,  and  with  a  great  and 
growing  irritation  at  my  attempts  to  stir  him. 
Twice,  indeed,  I  had  essayed  to  leave  the 
room,  but  each  time  he  had  detained  me. 
And  as  I  got  on  my  feet  for  the  third  time, 

"  For  God's  sake,"  said  he,  impatiently, 
"  sit  down  and  stay  where  you  are.  Do  you 
think  I'm  sticking  here  without  a  method?  " 

He  pulled  out  his  watch  and  sat  frowning 
at  it. 

"They'll  be  here  soon,"  said  he,  "  or  I'll 
know  they  have  sailed  away  with  a  very  stiff 
old  gentleman — and  if  that  is  so,  God  stay  by 
him  in  such  hands." 

He  had  scarcely  spoken  when  a  distant  sound 
caught  his  ear  and  he  listened  attentively. 
Then  he  got  up  with  a  sigh  of  satisfaction  and 
passed  across  to  the  window.  A  moment  after 
I  was  beside  him,  at  his  call,  and  together  we 
watched  three  visitors  coming  up  the  drive. 
Well  in  the  van  was  the  Colonel's  man  afoot, 
and  behind  him,  on  his  own  and  his  master's 
horses,  rode  two  strange  men.  They  were  a 
good  deal  muffled  for  the  day,  I  thought,  but 
one  of  them,  in  particular,  attracted  my  notice 
by  the  studied  concealment  of  his  face.  He 
wore  a  soft  felt  hat  pulled  well  down  over  his 


Forward  House 


forehead,  a  great  pair  of  green  goggles  at  his 
eyes,  and  a  coarse  black  beard  and  mustache 
that  covered  the  lower  part  of  his  face. 

When  the  trio  had  reached  the  point  opposite 
us,  this  man  swung  himself  from  his  horse  and 
approached  the  house  alone.  Lorimer  met  him 
on  the  threshold  of  the  side  door. 

"You  are  Mister  Lorimer?"  the  stranger 
asked,  brusquely. 

"  I  am,"  says  my  companion,  bluntly,  "  and 
I  could  give  you  a  name  if  I  didn't  sicken  at 
thought  of  what  it  should  be. ' ' 

But  if  the  other  was  dashed  at  this  impu 
dence,  he  made  no  sign. 

"  Nevermind,"  said  he,  contemptuously,  "I 
come  from  a  very  civil  old  gentleman  whose 
example  is  lost  upon  his  servants,  it  seems. 
Show  me  the  room." 

"  By  what  authority?  "  asked  Lorimer,  quite 
white  with  anger,  but  got  no  further,  for  the 
stranger  was  chuckling  behind  his  beard,  which 
flopped  from  side  to  side  as  he  moved. 

"  You  waste  time,"  says  he,  at  length,  "  and 
you  only  prolong  your  master's  discomfort. 
Take  me  where  that  dead  man  is — if  you've 
such  a  thing  on  the  premises.  Don't  be  a  fool, 
Mister  Lorimer,  and  let's  get  the  business  done 
with." 

132 


Advent  of  Mister  Hawk 


Lorimer  wheeled  about  to  me. 

"  Come  with  us,"  he  commanded,  and 
passed  out  of  the  room.  The  stranger  did  not 
once  glance  my  way,  and  I  fell  in  behind 
them. 

We  entered  Dick's  room  in  the  same  order, 
and  Lorimer  went  straight  to  the  bed  and 
pulled  down  the  sheet  that  covered  the  dead 
man's  face. 

"You  may  cover  him  again,"  said  the 
stranger,  coolly,  after  a  glance.  "I  am  satis 
fied." 

All  this  time  he  had  not  removed  his  hat,  but 
the  cause  was  so  manifest  that  I  had  scarcely 
noticed  it  as  a  rudeness,  and  I  thought  Lorimer 
was  no  more  awake  to  resenting  it  than  I.  And 
as  the  man  turned  from  the  bed,  he  faced  me  for 
the  first  time,  and  on  the  instant  sprang  back 
with  a  little  cry.  It  was  the  impulse  of  a  man 
suddenly  startled  beyond  self-control,  and  a  sec 
ond  afterward  he  was  as  indifferent  as  you  please. 
But  the  action  was  not  lost  upon  Lorimer,  who 
looked  keenly  at  each  of  us  in  turn,  and  my 
own  surprise  was  not  less  than  his. 

"  You've  met  a  friend,"  says  he  to  our  guest, 
sneeringly  ;  and  then  to  me,  "  Do  you  know 
him,  Mister  Hunt?" 

At  my  name  the   man   started   again,   and 

'33 


Forward  House 


though  I  shook  my  head  in  reply  to  Lorimer's 
question,  something  in  the  stranger's  manner 
sent  a  shiver  of  apprehension  down  my  spine. 
As  for  him,  he  was  plainly  demoralized  at  the 
incident,  and  he  concealed  his  agitation  only 
lamely.  He  started  for  the  door  without  fur 
ther  ceremony,  but  Lorimer  quickly  blocked 
his  way. 

"  It  may  be  against  orders,"  said  he,  grimly, 
"but  by  God,  you  shan't  leave  the  room  till 
you've  shown  your  face  to  us.  Off  with  that 
trumpery  !  ' '  and  as  the  fellow  made  no  sign 
of  complying,  Lorimer  strode  up  to  him,  and 
with  the  quickness  of  a  cat,  ripped  off  the  soft 
hat,  the  green  goggles,  and  lastly  the  coarse 
false  beard  that  hid  his  face.  And  in  the  shock 
of  that  disclosure  I  stood  aghast,  for,  naked  of 
disguise,  stood  a  man  whose  name  had  not  been 
on  my  lips  and  whose  face  I  had  not  looked 
upon  for  more  than  twenty  years.  And  if  you 
ask  me  who  he  was,  it  serves  my  present  pur 
pose  to  say  no  more  of  him  than  this  :  He  had 
been  my  friend  and  I  had  been  his  in  that 
earlier  time,  and  chance  had  drifted  us  apart. 
In  the  light  of  what  I  was  to  learn  before  he 
left  Forward  House,  I  could  wish  that  the  same 
chance  had  kept  our  paths  divergent  to  the  end. 
But  in  the  moment  that  we  faced  each  other, 


The  Advent  of  Mister  Hawk 

youth  touched  my  heart,  and  the  years  he  had 
been  lost  to  me  were  as  nothing. 

When  he  saw  the  look  in  my  face,  the  anger 
melted  in  him,  and  he  paid  no  heed  to  Lori- 
mer.  He  came  on  with  outstretched  arms. 

"  John,"  said  he,  impulsively,  "  I  had  not 
thought  to  see  you  again.  Will  you  touch  the 
unclean  thing  I  am,  for  old  times'  sake?  Be 
lieve  me,  this  is  when  a  man's  sins  are  hell  to 
him." 

And  for  answer  my  hands  were  on  his  shoul 
ders.  I  had  not  said  a  word,  when  Lorimer, 
who  was  watching  us  with  amazement,  threw 
back  his  head  with  a  boisterous  laugh. 

"  So  you've  found  a  friend,  Mister  Hawk," 
says  he.  "  Well,  you  drop  in  soft  places,  but 
you'll  drop  on  nothing,  one  of  these  days,  and 
that  will  surprise  both  your  heels  and  your 
neck." 

My  hands  fell  to  my  sides  again,  and  I  took 
a  step  back.  I  stared  at  them  both,  and  Lori 
mer  read  my  look. 

"What,"  says  he,  "you  don't  know  him, 
then  ?  '  The  Hawk,'  "  he  added,  with  a  slight 
emphasis ;  and  I  took  another  step  back,  for  in 
my  day  the  mention  of  that  name  in  my  part  of 
the  world  made  goose-flesh  of  a  brave  man,  and 
pulp  of  a  coward.  No  outlaw  on  land  or  sea 


Forward  House 


carried  such  terror  to  lonely  places  as  "  The 
Hawk,"  and  it  was  a  fortune  to  any  man  who 
should  bring  him  in  sight  of  a  jail.  But  who 
he  was  or  had  been,  none  knew,  and  even 
among  his  men,  it  was  said,  he  was  known  only 
as  "Mister  Hawk."  These  things  I  knew, 
but  that  I  had  lived  to  throw  my  arms  about 
him  and  welcome  him  as  the  dearest  friend  of 
my  life,  left  me  stupid  with  astonishment. 

"You,"  said  I,  stammering,  "  '  The  Hawk?  ' 
No,  no,  Mister  Lorimer,  you're  mistaken.  This 
man  is " 

But  the  visitor  raised  his  hand  and  voice  in 
protest. 

"  You  are  both  right,"  said  he,  wearily,  "  I 
am  '  Mister  Hawk  '  to  all  but  you,  John  Hunt, 
and  that  other  name  you  and  I  will  keep  be 
tween  us.  It  has  slipped  from  me  with  every 
other  good  thing,  long  ago.  And  the  only 
kindness  you  can  do  me  now  is  to  seal  your 
lips  upon  it  for  the  sake  of  those  who  have  for 
gotten  me." 

The  man  has  long  since  passed  to  his  reckon 
ing  after  the  disgraceful  manner  of  his  kind, 
but  the  name  that  halted  on  my  lips  that  day 
has  never  since  passed  them,  and  never  shall. 

We  went  back  to  the  library,  Lorimer  still 
dazed,  and  Mister  Hawk  threw  himself  into  a 
136 


The  Advent  of  Mister  Hawk 

chair.  He  seemed  to  have  quite  recovered  his 
coolness. 

"Mister  Lorimer,"  said  he,  jauntily,  "my 
attitude  means  weariness.  It  is  customary 
among  gentlemen " 

"  Take  it,"  said  Lorimer,  gruffly,  handing 
him  the  bottle  and  pushing  a  glass  across  the 
table  ;  ' '  take  it — but  excuse  me  !  ' ' 

"  You'll  not  drink  with  me  ?  "  says  Mister 
Hawk,  with  the  air  of  one  much  hurt.  "As 
you  please,  man,  but  you're  the  loser.  I've 
heard  of  your  master's  liquors  before  this." 

But  Lorimer  got  up  in  dudgeon  and  stalked 
out  of  the  room,  slamming  the  door  after  him. 

"A  surly  fellow,"  said  the  other,  easily, 
and  poured  himself  a  drink.  His  manner  re 
pelled  me,  and  I  was  beginning  to  regret  my 
impulsive  welcome  of  him.  He  saw  the  change 
and  it  sobered  him. 

"  Hunt,"  said  he,  "  until  ten  minutes  ago  I 
had  thought  myself  beyond  the  touch  of  a  good 
impulse,  and  here  I  find  myself  dumb  in  your 
presence  lest  I  add  your  loathing  to  the  rest  of 
my  burden.  Let  us  think  of  what  I  was — not 
what  I  am." 

"  God  knows  I  have  no  wish  to  read  you  a 
lecture,"  said  I.  "I  am  helpless  at  the  ab 
surdity  of  the  situation.  I  cannot  square  the 

'37 


Forward  House 


man  I  knew  with  the  monstrous  villain  that 
rumor  makes  you." 

He  flushed  a  little  and  laughed  uneasily. 

"You're  damned  lavish  of  words,"  said  he, 
with  some  show  of  irritation.  "There  aren't 
many  men  who'd  call  me  a  '  monstrous  villain  ' 
to  my  face." 

"And  fewer  yet,"  I  answered,  tartly,  "  who 
would  own  your  friendship  before  a  witness." 

"  There's  something  in  that,"  he  answered, 
dryly.  "  '  Auld  lang  syne  '  allows  an  extrava 
gance  of  expression — both  ways. ' ' 

The  truth  is,  that  left  alone,  we  were  both 
uncomfortable  and  embarrassed  —  and  I  was 
glad  when  he  presently  said  he  must  be  off;  yet 
there  was  something  I  ached  to  ask  him — and 
he  gave  me  an  opening. 

"  Hunt,"  said  he,  "I  shall  always  regret  it 
hereafter  if  I  don't  give  you  a  chance  to  tell 
me  how  you  happen  here  and  what  you  are 
doing." 

So  I  gave  him  a  digest  of  the  day  and  a  half, 
much  as  I  have  set  it  down  here,  and  he  heard 
me  through  to  the  end. 

"And  now  that  you've  made  the  move," 
said  I,  "  I'll  tell  you  that  I'm  travelling  on  the 
outskirts  of  this  business — and  you  can  clear  it 
up." 


The  Advent  of  Mister  Hawk 

His  whole  manner  changed. 

''Be  advised,"  said  he,  seriously,  "and 
stay  on  the  outskirts." 

"  Is  that  quite  disinterested,  Mister  Hawk?  " 
I  asked — and  he  was  silent  for  a  minute  or  two. 

"  My  lieutenant  was  Richard  Forward," 
said  he,  "  and  I'll  say  no  more  than  that." 

"  I  had  guessed  that  much,"  I  answered. 
"  What  was  the  woman's  rank?  " 

He  set  his  glass  upon  the  table. 

"  No  more  of  that,"  he  growled,  and  with  a 
look  that  made  me  shiver  at  his  possibilities. 
"  If  you're  fool  enough  to  be  travelling  on  that 
line,  I'm  bound  to  set  you  right.  I  never  saw 
the  girl  before  last  night,  but  I'll  hear  no  harm 
of  her.  Now  ask  your  questions,  and  I'll  be 
frank  with  you,  for  when  I  turn  my  back  on 
Forward  House  to-day,  I  shall  have  seen  the 
last  of  it  and  you.  What  do  you  want  to 
know?" 

' '  What  brought  that  man  here  on  his  lawless 
errand  ?  "  I  asked,  stoutly. 

He  sat  quite  still  for  some  minutes,  as  if 
weighing  the  whole  matter.  And  then  : 

"  He  came,  first  of  all,"  says  he,  quietly,  "  for 
his  wife.  And  she  knows  nothing  of  his  dis 
graceful  deeds — and  I  know  all."  He  stopped 
and  hesitated  before  continuing.  "He  loved 


Forward  House 


the  woman  and  wanted  to  cut  loose  from  the 
bad.  That  was  what  he  wanted.  Another 
man  who  knew  these  things,  saw  an  advantage, 
and  used  it.  So  Richard  Forward  came  for 
the  fortune  that  lies  in  his  father's  secret,  to 
buy  his  peace  from  those  who  held  that  knowl 
edge  over  him.  And  he  knew  it  was  shame 
and  exposure  and  degradation,  and  very  likely 
death  for  him  not  to  get  it — because  the  other 
man  owed  him  a  grudge  and  was  never  known 
to  show  mercy  to  anyone." 

His  voice  was  a  whisper  when  he  finished, 
and  he  evaded  my  eyes.  But  his  meaning  was 
so  clear  that  I  got  up  with  a  gesture  of  disgust. 

"  'Another  man,'  "  said  I,  quoting  him. 
"  '  Another  man  ' — and  you're  that  other  man. 
And  you  tell  me  that  you  have  dropped  as  low 
as  that  ?  ' ' 

"It's  all  in  the  point  of  view,"  he  replied, 
with  a  sigh,  "I  held  the  cards  —  and  forced 
him." 

"  And  you  would  have  betrayed  your  own 
comrade,"  said  I,  "  and  turned  him  over  to  the 
hangman  if  he  hadn't  done  this  thing  ?  " 

"  Excuse  me,"  he  answered,  reddening, 
"  we  need  not  go  so  far  as  that." 

"As  you  please,"  I  said,  "and  I  give  you 
the  benefit  of  a  small  doubt." 
140 


The  Advent  of  Mister  Hawk 

"I'm  afraid,"  said  he,  with  an  assumption 
of  ease  that  his  white  face  belied,  "  I'm  afraid, 
Mister  Hunt,  that  we've  reached  the  fork  of 
the  road.  I'm  sorry  I  had  to  tell  you,  for  I 
should  like  to  leave  you  with  a  hand-shake,  but 
never  mind  that,  and  see  that  you  mind  this : 
Molly  Forward  is  never  to  know  the  truth, 

and  if  any  man  shall  undeceive  her,  I'll ' 

he  brought  his  fist  down  on  the  table  with  a 
crash.  "As  for  me,"  he  went  on,  ironically, 
"  that  you  may  think  of  me  as  badly  as  possi 
ble,  I  tell  you  I  came  here  to-day  to  satisfy  my 
self  that  Dick  was  not  playing  me  a  trick. ' ' 

He  got  up,  and  with  a  hand  that  shook  in 
spite  of  him,  adjusted  the  grotesque  disguises 
that  Lorimer  had  torn  from  his  face,  and  start 
ed  for  the  door  ;  with  his  hand  at  the  latch,  he 
hesitated  and  turned  back. 

«  Well— John?"  he  asked. 

"Go,"  said  I,  turning  from  him.  "My 
eyes  are  tainted  w'ith  the  sight  of  you. " 

And  with  a  little  sigh,  he  passed  out  and  I 
saw  him  no  more,  but  presently  I  heard  their 
horses  on  the  drive. 


141 


XIII 

I    MEET   MRS.    FORWARD    AND    MY    STORY    ENDS 

I  SAT  there  thinking  of  that  strange  interview 
until  the  room  grew  dark  and  Lorimer 
came  in  with  a  lighted  lamp.  And  I  have  this 
to  say  for  the  man's  delicacy — that  neither 
then  with  his  anger  hot  upon  him,  nor  at  any 
time  afterward  did  he  twit  me  with  being 
Hawk's  friend.  He  looked  worn  and  anx 
ious,  and  barely  noticed  my  presence,  but  his 
eyes  kindled  at  what  he  saw  upon  the  table, 
and  he  picked  up  the  glass  that  Mister  Hawk 
had  drunk  from,  and  threw  it  from  the  win 
dow  into  the  road.  Then  he  fell  to  pacing  the 
floor.  I  did  not  interrupt  him,  and  he  finally 
stopped  before  me. 

"  Hunt,"  he  burst  out  with  the  thought  that 
was  uppermost  in  both  our  minds,  "if  he 
hadn't  been  under  truce  and  with  the  Colonel 
and  Molly  aboard  his  vile  ship,  I'd  have  done 
for  him  here." 

I  made  no  comment,  and  he  went  on. 


/  Meet  Mrs.  Forward  and  My  Story  Ends 

"  Do  you  wonder,"  says  he,  "that  I  feared 
for  the  old  man's  safety  in  those  hands  ?  Do 
you  wonder  that  I  tremble  when  I  think  of  him 
and  Molly  in  the  power  of  that  villain?  " 

The  man  was  so  wrought  upon  by  the  sus 
pense  of  waiting  that  I  tried  to  reassure  him, 
and  I  told  him  what  the  stranger  had  said  of 
Molly.  He  was  relieved  at  that,  but  as  the 
evening  wore  away  and  nothing  was  heard 
from  the  pair,  his  nervousness  returned.  The 
clouds  had  gathered  at  nightfall,  and  a  driz 
zling  rain  set  in  during  the  evening  which  add 
ed  to  our  dreariness.  About  nine  o'clock 
Lorimer  left  me,  and  I  heard  him  talking  with 
one  of  his  men  in  the  next  room,  and  they 
shortly  went  out  together. 

I  saw  them  from  the  window  crossing  the 
lawn  with  a  lantern,  and  they  disappeared  in 
a  clump  of  trees  a  little  way  from  the  house. 
But  the  blur  of  their  light  came  through  the 
rain  to  me,  and  I  watched  it  there  stationary 
for  a  long  time. 

While  I  was  still  looking  at  it,  Lorimer  came 
in  alone.  His  rubber  coat  was  blotched  with 
mud,  and  he  looked  warm,  but  the  anxious 
look  had  gone  from  his  face  and  in  its  place 
there  was  excitement. 

"  They're  coming,"  says  he,  eagerly  ;   "  and 

143 


Forward  House 


now,  Mister  Hunt,  you'll  not  take  this  amiss 
from  me — all  things  considered?"  and  pick 
ing  up  the  lamp,  bade  me  follow  him. 

He  led  me  straight  to  Dick's  room,  and 
stopped  by  the  bed. 

"It's  the  last  time,"  he  said,  sorrowfully, 
and  I  understood  him. 

And  when  I  turned  away,  he  followed  me 
from  the  room.  But  he  took  the  lead  once  we 
were  in  the  hall  again,  and  instead  of  returning 
to  the  library,  began  ascending  the  stairs  and 
bade  me  follow.  He  did  not  stop  on  the  first 
landing,  but  kept  on  to  the  top  of  the  house, 
and  close  on  his  heels  I  entered  a  bed-room  at 
the  end  of  the  hall. 

"  This  will  be  your  room,"  said  he,  lighting 
a  candle  on  the  dressing  -  table,  and  retiring 
quickly  to  the  door.  And  before  I  could  re 
ply  to  him,  he  was  gone  and  I  heard  his  steps 
echoing  down  the  long  passage. 

I  was  chagrined  and  disappointed,  for  I  had 
hoped  to  see  the  Colonel's  home-coming,  and 
more  than  all  else,  to  see  her.  But  I  was  tired, 
too,  and  I  went  to  bed  and  slept,  and  no 
sound  was  great  enough  in  the  house  that 
night  to  disturb  the  heavy  slumber  that  fol 
lowed  my  exhaustion. 

The  sunshine  in  my  face  brought  me  out  of 

144 


/  Meet  Mrs.  Forward  and  My  Story  Ends 

bed  in  the  morning,  and  from  my  window  I 
saw  the  sea,  and  no  speck  on  its  broad  surface. 
While  I  stood  looking  there  came  a  timid 
knock  at  my  door,  and  a  woman's  voice  fol 
lowed  it  with  the  announcement  of  breakfast. 
And  then  I  knew  that  order  again  reigned  in 
Forward  House ;  but  when  the  servants  re 
turned,  or  how,  I  do  not  to  this  day  know. 

I  dressed  and  went  downstairs.  Lorimer 
was  in  the  library  and  advanced  upon  me  with 
a  shining  face. 

"They  are  come,"  said  he,  "and  that 
chapter's  done  with,  thank  God  !  Now  let's 
get  into  the  air,  for  there's  one  thing  to  show 
you  yet,  and  a  word  or  two  to  say  besides — be 
fore  you  become  one  of  the  family." 

I  looked  at  him  inquiringly. 

"  It's  the  old  man's  wish,"  said  he. 
"  You're  to  stay  here  anyway  until  your  own 
house  can  be  rebuilt." 

I  flushed  a  little. 

"I'm  not : '  I  began,  stiffly. 

"  Damn  your  pride,"  he  broke  in.  "  You've 
got  to  stay  somewhere. ' ' 

He  seized  my  arm  and  hurried  me  from 
the  room.  When  we  got  outside,  he  went 
on. 

"  And   if    he   never   speaks    of  this    thing 

H5 


Forward  House 


again,"  said  he,  "  it's  his  way,  man — it's  his 
way.  Take  him  as  he  is." 

He  was  leading  me  out  through  the  trees, 
and  presently  we  came  to  a  knoll  where  the 
earth  had  been  lately  disturbed. 

"And  there  lies  Dick,"  says  he,  coming 
to  a  halt. 

"  Good  God,"  said  I,  with  a  start.  "  And 
did  you  bury  him  like  a  dog,  then  ?  ' ' 

"Indeed,"  said  he,  with  a  show  of  spirit, 
"  I've  seen  many  as  good  a  man  as  he  go  un 
der  with  less  ceremony — and  few  are  so  hon 
estly  mourned." 

"But  no  rites,"  I  urged.  "No  clergy 
man ' ' 

"Excuse  me,"  said  he,  dryly.  "Have  I 
then  disguised  myself  so  completely  ?  I  have 
taken  holy  orders  myself,  Mister  Hunt,  and  I 
was  the  Colonel's  chaplain  for  some  years  be 
fore  he  brought  me  here." 

"  You  ?  "  I  exclaimed. 

"I,"  he  answered,  but  he  reddened  at  the 
amazement  in  my  voice.  "  And  I  see  what 
sticks  in  your  throat.  But  if  I  let  slip  an  oath 
now  and  then — that's  the  most  artificial  of 
sins.  It  was  all  quite  regular,  Mister  Hunt,  I 
assure  you.  And  now,"  he  added  with  a  sud 
den  change  of  manner,  "let  me  tell  you  an- 

146 


/  Meet  Mrs.  Forward  and  My  Story  Ends 

other  thing.  I  not  only  buried  poor  Dick  last 
night,  but  I  married  him  to  Molly  Bridgman, 
there  in  the  library,  three  months  ago.  Before 
he  died,  Dick  told  his  father  of  the  marriage, 
but  he  would  not  tell  who  married  them,  and 
there  are  reasons  why  I  am  glad  to  leave  the 
Colonel  in  ignorance  for  the  present." 

We  had  turned  again  to  the  house,  and  as 
we  reached  the  door  he  held  me  back. 

"One  thing  more,"  he  said,  "and  this  is 
for  the  good  of  us  all.  No  word  of  Harry's 
part  in  this  business  has  been  dropped,  but  the 
old  man  is  no  fool.  For  his  own  sake,  let 
Harry's  name  be  forgotten.  Never  speak  it  be 
fore  his  father,  and  if  I  may  ask  as  much  for 
myself,  never  mention  him  to  me.  He  is 
gone,  and  if  I  know  him,  he  will  not  show  his 
hateful  face  here  again." 

I  did  not  see  the  Colonel  until  next  day,  and 
if  I  had  reckoned  on  taking  him  up  where  I 
Jeft  him,  my  disappointment  had  been  great. 
From  that  day  to  this,  much  as  I  have  been 
with  him,  his  speech  has  never  touched  upon 
that  wretched  time.  But  I  stayed  in  his  house 
for  weeks,  and  though  I  have  never  forsworn 
the  habits  of  a  lifetime,  which  have  made  me 
a  hermit,  I  got  a  great  fondness  for  the  brave 
old  gentleman  while  I  lived  under  his  roof, 
147 


Forward  House 


and  for  Lorimer — but  most  of  all  for  Molly 
Forward. 

For  some  days  after  that  night,  she  kept  to 
her  room,  but  when  I  entered  the  library  one 
morning,  perhaps  a  week  later,  I  saw  a  woman 
standing  before  the  fire.  Her  back  was  toward 
me,  and  I  would  have  retreated,  but  she  had 
heard  me  in  the  hall  and  turned  at  my  en 
trance,  and  I  stood  face  to  face  with  Molly 
Forward.  Every  detail  of  that  fair  picture  is 
stamped  upon  my  mind  to  this  day — the  slender 
height  of  her  graceful  figure,  more  graceful  for 
the  rigid  simplicity  of  the  black  gown  and  the 
absence  of  ornament — the  refined  face  with  its 
sensitive  and  delicate  features — and  the  deep 
blue  eyes,  and  the  golden  hair  above  it  all.  I 
thought  then  as  I  have  thought  since,  that  she 
was  the  loveliest  woman  I  had  ever  seen. 

She  was  quite  alone  as  I  entered  the  room, 
and  I  bowed  clumsily  and  made  as  if  to  leave 
her ;  but  she  took  a  step  forward  and  lifted  a 
hand. 

"  You  are  Mister  Hunt?  "  she  said,  in  the 
voice  that  had  so  thrilled  me  when  I  last  heard 
it.  "  Pray  do  not  go — I  shall  not  wait  for  my 
father  to  present  you,"  and  she  advanced  and 
gave  me  her  hand. 

She  showed  no  embarrassment — no  sign  of 

148 


/  Meet  Mrs.  Forward  and  My  Story  Ends 

consciousness  that  she  had  ever  spoken  with  me 
before,  and  though  I  am  little  used  to  women, 
her  gentle  ways  would  have  put  a  savage  at  his 
ease. 

"  Mrs.  Forward,"  I  began,  and  got  no 
further.  She  was  looking  me  frankly  in  the 
eyes,  but  at  sound  of  my  voice  she  turned  her 
face  away,  and  I  felt  the  hand  that  lay  in  mine 
tremble.  I  said  no  more,  for  I  knew  what  had 
come  to  her. 

"You  must  forgive  me,"  she  said,  after  a 
moment's  silence.  "  I  am  not  very  brave — 
and  it  is  all  so  near.  I  was  not  sure — until 
you  spoke." 

And  when  she  looked  at  me  again,  her  eyes 
were  brimming  with  tears. 

So  much  for  those  with  whom  my  lot  was 
cast  at  that  strange  time,  and  with  whom, 
please  God,  it  shall  be  linked  in  some  measure 
for  all  time  to  come.  But  of  Harry,  no 
vaguest  word  has  ever  reached  me,  and  I  choose 
to  remember  him  as  I  last  saw  him — throwing 
his  sword  from  him  with  that  quick  gesture  of 
disgust,  and  striding  away  over  the  fields — for 
then,  at  least,  I  think  he  was  sorry. 


149 


New  Novels  and  Short  Stories. 

IN  ATTRACTIVE  UNIFORM  BINDING. 

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